ANDERSON DEAL TO BE PROBED

Last updated : 01 June 2007 By Ed
From today's Mirror

MANCHESTER UNITED'S £17million signing of Brazilian superstar Anderson will be probed by the Premier League - for fears of a new Carlos Tevez affair.

United are buying the teenager from Porto, but there will be an investigation into possible third party ownership by the mysterious Global Soccer Investment group.

Anderson was plucked from Brazilian club Gremio three years ago and sold to Porto, with GSI taking a 75 per cent stake in him when he signed for the Portuguese club.

Now the Premier League - under huge pressure to check the money trail in all deals - will consult Porto, Gremio and both the Portuguese and Brazilian Football Associations over these key questions.

The ownership and identity of who put the money into GSI is a major puzzle. Porto are aware of who is behind the company, but are unwilling to reveal the truth. President Fernando Gomes revealed recently: "We know who is the head of GSI, but we are not allowed to say."

Several agents, including top wheeler-dealer Pini Zahavi and Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes, are close to the Anderson deal.