Bolton Wanderers were last night caught up in another Football Association investigation after it emerged that Radhi Jaidi's former agent has lodged a complaint over the transfer that saw the defender join Birmingham City for £2 million in the summer.

Jesse Learoyd-Hill, the Tunisia defender's agent at the time of the deal, has claimed the first he knew that his client had transferred to Birmingham was when watching Sky Sports news.

Learoyd-Hill has met the FA on two occasions and submitted transcripts of conversations he had with Birmingham's manager Steve Bruce and his assistant Eric Black. He said he opened discussions with Birmingham in the summer, after learning they were interested in the player and having ascertained Bolton's willingness to sell, but later discovered a deal had been concluded behind his back, and without him taking any commission.

He has now asked the FA's compliance unit to look into the actions of all involved in the transfer, which will include the role of Mark Curtis, the agent of the Bolton manager Sam Allardyce. The FA said on Wednesday they will investigate the Panorama allegations about Allardyce in the BBC documentary Undercover: Football's Dirty Secrets.

Curtis, who previously employed Allardyce's son Craig at his company, Direct Sports Management, said yesterday he acted for Birmingham when Jaidi moved to St Andrew's. "I was working on behalf of Birmingham City," he said.

Curtis has previously represented Bolton in deals and worked on their behalf when he renegotiated Jaidi's three-year contract at the Reebok last year following talks with Learoyd-Hill in Spain. Curtis has not breached any rules by working for Birmingham and claimed he had nothing to do with Learoyd-Hill being cut out of the deal.

"That was the player's decision not my decision," he said. "He [ Jaidi] said he didn't want to take him along. If he had wanted to be represented by him he would have brought him along; it's not a conversation I have particularly had. It's of no concern to me who represents the player."

Jaidi could not be contacted last night.

Curtis said he was unaware Learoyd-Hill had started negotiations with Birmingham and denied his close links with Bolton created a conflict of interest. "Does it mean that if I work for one club one time, does it mean I can't work for another club doing a deal with them?" he said.

Birmingham's managing director Karren Brady said: "The club's policy is not to comment on individual deals."

A spokesman for Bolton added: "We have got no comment to make. It's between the player and Birmingham City."

Learoyd-Hill said it was only after the transfer was completed he was told Jaidi no longer wished to be represented by him, even though he met Jaidi on more than one occasion during the World Cup. He has since invoiced Jaidi for money he believes is due but is anxious the FA investigates the events which, he claims, led to him being frozen out. The FA last night confirmed they had received an official complaint from Learoyd-Hill and that the investigation was ongoing.

Guardian Service