Tottenham risk points deduction as FA considers agent rule breach investigation in Jermain Defoe transfer
Tottenham Hotspur, the acclaimed English Premier League football club can reportedly face a points deduction as the Football Association (FA) considers to review vital evidence that allegedly points towards the breach of football agent rules with regards to the transfer of footballer Jermain Defoe in 2008.
Defoe, one of the league’s most revered strikers at the time joined Spurs during the January transfer window from Portsmouth football club for an amount of £7.5 million.
As per reports, all the three parties, both clubs and the player, were associated with an unlicensed agency during the transfer proceedings.
There was an arbitration panel which discussed the matter 15 years ago.
According to reports the panel had found out that a person known as Mitchell Thomas, who was an ex-West Ham and ex-Spurs football player, also an unlicensed agent was one of the key figures in the Defoe transfer deal.
Additionally, in 2008, the FA had published a list of agents who were working in the football transfer industry without an appropriate licence and Thomas was a part of that list as well.
Furthermore, Daniel Levy, the chairman of Spurs, appointed a licensed football agent named Stuart Peters to represent the football club during this transfer.
However, there was no representation contract in place for this appointment as it is required under the policies of FA. Levy also agreed to pay Peters a sum of £1 million for the role he played in the Defoe transfer.
A spokeswoman from the FA in a statement said that the Football Association did not participate in this arbitrary hearing.
