Old Trafford recruits: recent United signings

LOUIS SAHA

From Fulham, Jan 2004, £12.8m

Details and questions: For the first time in a transfer deal, United publicly disclosed a breakdown of the total cost, which was £12.825m. Of this, £11.5m went to Fulham, £575,000 in levy to the Premier League and £750,000 to agents. But who were the agents? What precisely did they do?

KLEBERSON

From Paranaense, Aug 2003, £6m

Details and questions: It was alleged the selling club were told to negotiate only with agents stipulated by Manchester Utd. The player's own representative, Juan Figer, claims he was frozen out of the deal, reportedly losing out on £480,000 commission. Do Figer's claims stand up? Which agents did the deal? Were they all licensed? How much did they make?

CRISTIANO RONALDO

From Sporting Lisbon, Aug 2003, £12.2m

Details and questions: It is alleged that United paid three times as much for the Portuguese teenager than had been agreed between Sporting Lisbon and Arsenal only weeks earlier. How did the player become available to United after a deal had supposedly been done elsewhere? Who were the agents? What did they earn?

TIM HOWARD

From: MetroStars, July 2003, £2.3m

Details and questions: Gaetano Marotta, a Switzerland-based agent, brokered the move and then made a six-figure payment to Mike Morris, a Monaco-based agent who is a business associate of Sir Alex Ferguson's son, Jason. Who hired Marotta, and on whose recommendation? Did Ferguson Jnr receive any payment from Morris as a result of the deal?

DAVID BELLION

From: Sunderland, July 2003, £2m

Details and questions: Jason Ferguson's company paid for the player's mobile phone bill and car while Sir Alex Ferguson was trying to persuade the Frenchman to join United. Was Ferguson Jnr representing Bellion in any way in the deal itself? Sunderland's chairman, Bob Murray, said attempts were made to unsettle the player and persuade him to move. Is there evidence?

ERIC DJEMBA-DJEMBA

From: Nantes, July 2003, £3.5m

Details and questions: The 22-year-old Cameroon international was brought to the club as a long-term understudy to Roy Keane. The combative midfielder was also reportedly being sought by other English clubs, including Chelsea, but opted to move to Old Trafford. Who were the agents? What were they paid?

RIO FERDINAND

From: Leeds, July 2002, £29.2m

Details and questions: United set the British transfer record and made Ferdinand the world's most expensive defender when they bought him from Leeds. How many agents were involved? Who? How much did they earn? Was the fee realistic at the time? Magnier may want an independent assessor to explore whether Ferdinand was value for money.

DIEGO FORLAN

From: Independiente, Jan 2002, £7.5m

Details and questions: The Uruguayan was first offered to Aston Villa for around £6m. They declined and the player was transferred within months for around £1.5m more. Forlan was also paid an unusual extra fee of £500,000 to join United. Who were the agents? How much did they make? Why did Forlan's price rise so quickly?

LAURENT BLANC

From: Internazionale, Aug 2001, Free

Details and questions: Sir Alex Ferguson needed an experienced central defender to replace Jaap Stam, whose sale had involved Jason Ferguson and Mike Morris. Agents made £1.4m commission from that. How much, if anything, did Ferguson Jnr make? Ferguson Jnr then helped in negotiations to hire Blanc. What was his role? Who earned what commission?

RUUD VAN NISTELROOY

From: PSV Eindhoven, July 2001, £19m

Details and questions: Sir Alex Ferguson was a long-time admirer of the prolific Dutch striker before he made any bid for the player. But he was criticised by PSV for trying to persuade Van Nistelrooy to move to Manchester before he was officially a United player. Who were the agents. How much did they make?

JUAN SEBASTIAN VERON

From: Lazio, July 2001, £28.1m

Details and questions: Before his move to England, Veron had been caught up in charges that Lazio and his agents had conspired to falsify his Italian citizenship documents. After that issue was settled, he moved to United in a deal in which agents made £2.4m in commission. Who was involved? How much did they earn and for what?

ROY CARROLL

From: Wigan, July 2001, £2.5m

Details and questions: Carroll, who had cost Wigan £350,000 from Hull in 1997, moved to Manchester United as goalkeeping cover in the summer of 2001 for a reported £2.5m. His representative in the deal was Jason Ferguson. What role did Ferguson play precisely? How much did he receive as commission, if anything? Were other agents involved?