Seedy details of Carroll's shady deal.

Liverpool could be faced with an investigation over the transfer of Andy Carroll on deadline day as new details came to light regarding the record move between Liverpool and NUFC.

Now I've blamed the agent of Carroll for playing a big big part in the move previously. Put simply, I think Carroll isn't the brightest button on parade and I think he is easily led which is why I think he has been in a lot of trouble. It would appear that I was wrong, about the agent anyway, as Carroll didn't actually have one at the time of the transfer, well not one that was willing to represent him anyway as he was in dispute with Peter Harrison who claims that Carroll wanted the agent of Kevin Nolan to represent him despite the fact that Carroll had a two year contract in place with his current agent.

This meant that Carroll's move to Liverpool was completed without an agent, although it actually wasn't and it would appear that Liverpool hired one for the lad to use. Step forward David Bromley who is apparently a 'little known' agent that would never normally get anywhere near a deal the of size this. The problem is that Liverpool did not divulge this information and chose to not comment on his involvement in the deal, although they do admit that an agent was used.

So if Liverpool used an agent for the deal on behalf of Carroll whilst he was still under contract to another agent it would mean that transfer rules have been broken. It's called 'poaching' apparently, and to make things even murkier it has emerged that David Bromley is a close associate of Kevin Nolan's agent, Mark Custis who Carroll wanted to hire to replace his current agent, Harrison.

The big deal is that the agent employed by Liverpool was talking with Carroll before a fee was even agreed and that he was talking directly to the player. This is a 'breach of conduct' in the eyes of The FA and they are said to be looking into the situation.

It was pretty clear to me that Carroll was being sweet talked by someone, although I'd never heard of a dispute between him and his agent (who has represented him since the age of 16) so naturally assumed that he had a part to play in the deal.

Now there is a lot of hearsay and rumour with regard to what actually went on during transfer deadline day, but for me it's starting to tie in with what the club and Alan Pardew have been saying. It would explain the sudden demand for a pay rise as Carroll would have known exactly what he could be on at Liverpool and he would have known that Newcastle were unlikely to match it. According to yet more rumours Carroll couldn't actually say how much Liverpool had "offered" when Pardew asked about how much he wanted to stay as if he'd have named his price then club would have had an idea that something was up with deal and that talks had already taken place.

The world of agents is a murky, horrible affair and this article is actually annoying me as I can't stand them. If a poaching case is opened up then it would appear that Carroll had his head turned and that the club were genuinely rejecting those bids on transfer deadline day until Carroll made his mind up and forced the move by following instructions from an agent who should have been nowhere hear the deal in the first place.

Whatever happens, happens and there will be more details to come out in the future I would guess. These details do show that Carroll wasn't forced out like he said he was, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter too much. If anything it's a moral victory for the club who tried to keep hold of a player until the player took the control out of their hands.

Local hero my arse. He went for the money! That's fair enough, but to then have the brass bollocks to get people to "make sure they knew that he didn't want to leave" is a complete pisstake. They can have Carroll, they can have their seedy agents and dodgy transfer deals and anything else that is associated to the deal. They can also have any FA punishment that may, but probably won't, head their way. Liverpool and Carroll deserve each other!

They can't have their £35 million + back though!