New probe over Utd transfers

A new Manchester United transfer involving the son of Sir Alex Ferguson is set to come under the spotlight in a controversial documentary tomorrow night.

It will be claimed on the BBC programme Fergie and Son that a sports agency Jason Ferguson worked for - L'Attitude - was paid £50,000 for its part in the deal that took goalkeeper Massimo Taibi to Italian club Reggiana in July 2000.

The Taibi move took place before the series of transfers that were the subject of a major investigation by United, the findings of which were made public yesterday. Although the statement to the Stock Exchange said there was no wrong doing against Sir Alex's son, the club have decided not to use his current company, Elite, in any further transfer deals because of concerns regarding a conflict of interest.

The BBC Three programme, which will also be shown on BBC1 on Friday, will claim Elite had special access to United's much-guarded training ground at Carrington while other agents were denied entry except by appointment. It was revealed by United yesterday that Elite represents an astonishing 13 members of the current squad.

The club had intended to go public with the results of their internal probe on Friday. Sources denied it was deliberately brought forward before the programme was broadcast.

The transfer of Jaap Stam will also be scrutinised. Elite was paid by Lazio, the buying club, for work on the deal while a registered agent, Mike Morris, an associate of both Ferguson and his fellow Elite director Francis Martin, was paid £750,000 by United for assisting the transfer.