Jermain Defoe: The FA is looking into claims that Tottenham...

Jermain Defoe: The FA is looking into claims that Tottenham violated transfer regulations.

however the Football Association is supposed to look cautiously into supposed breaks during one of

the England international’s moves

A Football Association investigation is underway over Jermain Defoe’s 2008 transfer from Tottenham to Portsmouth.

When Spurs and Portsmouth were both in the Premier League in January 2008,

England striker Defoe moved from White Hart Lane to Fratton Park.

After 12 months, he moved back to North London, despite having assisted Pompey in finishing in the top half.

The Times claims that during a 2008 private hearing, it was discovered that the player,

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp, and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy all had dealings with unregistered agents.

Although there are other possible penalties for this kind of offense,

clubs have historically faced point deductions.

According to FA regulations that are still in effect nowadays,

“An Intermediary and a Player or a Club (as applicable) must have entered into a validly executed written Representation

Contract prior to that Intermediary carrying out any Intermediary Activity on his or its behalf” .

Stuart Peters, an intermediary hired by Levy,

is accused of having a representation contract that “did not appear to be in place”.

The Times reports that the FA has reexamined the contract in light of the paper’s own investigation and

mentions another suspected offense pertaining to the hiring of unlicensed agent Mitchell Thomas.

A High Court ruling in 2009 allowed Defoe’s former agency Sky Andrew to collect agent Peters’ and an unlicensed associate’s Thomas phone records.

An FA representative told The Times, “We are analyzing the arbitration panel award as part of our investigation into the case.

Spurs faced no disciplinary action at the time, but Defoe was ordered to compensate Andrew.

In his 12 games, Defoe scored eight goals for Portsmouth in the 2007–08 campaign,

which helped the team place eighth.

Even yet, he was unable to participate in the FA Cup and had to watch as Redknapp’s team emerged victorious.

Before joining Spurs again midway through the season, the striker scored twice in the UEFA Cup and seven times in the league the next year.

In his second stint, he stayed at White Hart Lane for five years before joining Toronto FC of Major League Soccer in 2014.