LONDON, Oct 2: English soccer is about to learn how extensive corruption is in the national game.

Former London police chief John Stevens was set to release preliminary findings on Monday of a six-month investigation into English soccer's transfer system, a probe expected to show irregularities in some of the 362 Premier League player transfers under review.

The report comes two weeks after a BBC TV program alleged that several Premier League managers may be involved in taking bribes from agents to complete transfers.

Stevens wasn't expected to name agents, clubs or agents when he met with officials of the 20 Premier League clubs. Representatives of nine clubs that were in the Premier League during the period under investigation were also attending.

Stevens was expected to ask for more time to look into dozens of questionable deals. And he is reported ready to ask clubs to open their books, to remove suspicion surrounding the transfer system.

Unconfirmed news reports suggested Stevens has found irregularities in about 65 deals and will seek permission for the Premier League to investigate further.

The Premier League commissioned the Stevens inquiry after Luton manager Mike Newell came forward eight months ago and said he had turned down two bribes offered by agents to complete player transfers.

The BBC investigation alleged that Bolton manager Sam Allardyce and others benefited from illegal payments. The program showed Craig Allardyce – an agent and the son of Allardyce – acknowledging that his father knew of secret payments in Bolton transfer deals. Sam Allardyce has denied all allegations and threatened to sue the BBC.

Last week Newcastle fired assistant coach Kevin Bond after he was implicated in the BBC investigation. The bribery allegations stem from Bond's stint as an assistant to Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth.

Colin Gordon, the agent for England manager Steve McClaren, has called the English game the ‘dirty man’ of European soccer. McClaren, the former manager at Middlesbrough, has declined to comment on Gordon's charges.

The Daily Mail on Sunday said that Didier Drogba's transfer to Chelsea was under investigation. There is no suggestion that Drogba or Chelsea did anything wrong.

The newspaper, without citing sources, said deals involving Man United's Louis Saha, Djibril Cisse at Marseille and Nicolas Anelka of Bolton were also being looked into.

Dave Whelan, chairman of Premier League club Wigan, has said managers should be banned for life if they have taken bribes.—AP