WTF is happening at Upton?

[WalterPill]

West Ham United are set to pull off a major coup by the signing Argentine stars Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United were all thought to be competing for the duo, along with some of the continents elite including Bayern Munich and Milan.
However, The Hammers have struck a deal with Media Sports Investments (MSI) - who own the rights to the Corinthians pair.
South American sources claim Portsmouth were also in line to broker a move, but it seems MSI have decided that a move to West Ham will best serve their prize assets.
The deal is believed to be initially for a season-long loan for the duo - but it could become permanent if all parties are happy, although it remains to be seen whether West Ham could affor them with both players carrying price tags of over £15 million.
The pair are both currently already in England ahead of this weekend's Brazil versus Argentina clash at Arsenal's brand new Emirates Stadium and this has aided the move.
A statement on Tevez's website states a move to Upton Park for himself and Mascherano has been sealed. "Carlitos Tevez along with his former Corinthians team-mate, Javier Mascherano, has signed a contract to play with West Ham United of England," read the statement.

Fucking incredible. I do however believe that Chelsea have a hand in this as Abramovich owns a 15% stake in MSI from what I've read and he'll probably look to see how they do at a team in the premiership this season whilst they don't necassarily need them and then buy them thereafter.

[webslinger2k]

he he, just been reading this myself - absolutely crazy.

I bet the WestHam fans are well chuffed. Great signings if it comes off.

[WalterPill]

It's happening, there's a press conference later. It's like Ardiles and Villa all over again.

[headsortails]

If it goes ahead its gota be the most unlikely transfer this season, Sol to Portsmouth a close 2nd.

Tevez is one ugly git.

[WalterPill]

Something Fishy About Tevez And Mascherano To West Ham Deal
August 31st, 2006 by Alan Hylands

And I’m not talking about the year’s supply of jellied eels they’ve got in front of them either. The deal to take Argentina stars Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano to West Ham United hasn’t officially been confirmed yet but football discussion forums are white hot with the news and the potential implications, not only for West Ham but for the premiership at large.

What would attract two of the world’s most sought after, young, talented international stars to Upton Park and the waiting arms of Alan Pardew? At first glance there is no logical explanation. West Ham had a great season last year after their promotion and surprised a lot of people (me included) with their classy football and solid defence that not only gave them a respectable league finish but also took them to the FA Cup Final.

I doubt that their Cup Final defeat in one of the liveliest and most enjoyable Cup Finals in many years will have been enough to tempt the two Argies though and despite having a foot in European competition with the UEFA Cup, I doubt that’s the real pulling factor either.

My suspicions lead me to a somewhat shadier deal being cooked up between the players’ club Corinthians, their owners MSI and another club with shady links to MSI and their owners. It’s long been rumoured that Roman Abramovich is the money man behind MSI and the reason that a broke Brazilian club like Corinthians could afford players like Tevez and Mascherano in the first place. It leaves no doubt in my mind that Chelsea and Roman are behind this proposed season long loan deal for the two Argentinians to West Ham and it’s only for one purpose - to acclimatise the players to London and the Premiership and see whether they are worth signing for Chelsea properly next summer.

There can be no other reason for this transfer to take place. Yes, West Ham are a good, homely club with some good players but for a club to sign Carlton Cole this summer and turn around and also get Carlos Tevez, it leaves me wondering what the motives are. I think I’ve worked out the obvious answer and it doesn’t bode well for the rest of the Premiership.

We’ve seen Chelsea’s strange buys and loan deals in the past with players like Smertin and Jarosik but this moves things to another level completely. Chelsea don’t outright own these players or their club but their guiding hand can skew the transfer market that they can prevent any of their near rivals in the top five from having these players while they park them at a safe and respectable club, close but not too close, for a season to let them mature in the English game.

Something stinks around here and the smell is increasingly eminating from Roman Abramovich’s direction.

Watch for strange injuries to both players pryor to the West Ham v Chelsea games.

[gunner]

If it goes ahead its gota be the most unlikely transfer this season, Sol to Portsmouth a close 2nd.

Tevez is one ugly git.

Agreed, unbe-fucking-lievable.

Good for the hammers, I did not see that coming.

[CzarJunkie]

Hmm, if I was a West Ham fan I'd be worried. I've never heard of a feeder club being in the same division. It's all wrong........

[Nikki]

if they pull that transwer coup off it will be great.

[Roach-Rampino]

Walter P, where were those quotes from?

[daz73]

Signing of the season without doubt if its pulled off..

Cant understand these 2 high profile players going into a team not capable of top 10 status... No CL either!!!

[NiCkO]

i wish fergie and the glazers would pull their finger out!

[TheFincher]

I do hope thats not true about Chelsea

Great for Hammers fans for a season at least

[jw_2000_uk]

This would be the biggest shock for me.

I'd say 99% sure this aint gonna happen.Football just doesnt throw up signings like this.

He was wanted by loads of top teams.

AINT GONNA HAPPEN

[TheFincher]

This would be the biggest shock for me.

I'd say 99% sure this aint gonna happen.Football just doesnt throw up signings like this.

He was wanted by loads of top teams.

AINT GONNA HAPPEN

I think you'll find its happened mate........ Tevez has said that he has signed a contract

[headsortails]

I have to say I don't think it will happen either but I like it to. Would make the league a lot more interesting having some of the smaller clubs pushing up the table.

[WalterPill]

Walter P, where were those quotes from?

First one is Sky second is http://www.stateofthegame.co.uk/

[ereader]

August 25 2005 (the guardian)

West Ham fans can perhaps start dreaming of their team becoming 'the next Chelsea' after a billionaire oligarch hinted at a proposed takeover of the club.Badri Patarkatsishvili, owner of the Georgian champions Dinamo Tbilisi, is the wealthiest man in Georgia and is bankrolling his country's bid for the 2014 winter Olympics. Speaking exclusively to The Observer, Badri has revealed his links to Corinthians, the Brazilian club whose holding company have shown an interest in West Ham. When asked directly if he was behind a move for the London club, he refused to comment on or deny involvement.



Roman Abramovich, Boris Berezovsky, his exiled fellow Russian tycoon, and Badri have frequently been linked with the £18million takeover of Corinthians, the Sao Paulo club, last year.
Media Sports Investment, a company registered in London whose backers are unknown, took control of Corinthians and soon delivered the £10m signing of Argentina playmaker Carlos Tevez and the league title.
When MSI head Kia Joorabchian met the West Ham chairman Terence Brown in May to discuss a £70m takeover of the club with a further £200m promised for investment, Berezovsky was reported to be involved.
Last week Badri seemed to concede as much when he said: 'We have invested in a wonderful football club in Brazil, Corinthians. We have invested in the Brazil team with Boris Berezovsky.'
He added: 'I have a couple of [football] investments that I am reluctant to mention - they are in the process of being finalised. I think money has a wonderful habit of flowing where it feels comfortable. I invest in these football clubs with friends.' When pressed if one of them was West Ham, he declined to comment.
But Berezovsky, speaking on Friday, contradicted Badri. 'I am not an investor in MSI. Company management has asked me to invest in the team [Corinthians], but I told them I had no such intention. I have invested in the construction of the stadium for the club.'
And West Ham? 'I am not going to participate in this at all. The management of MSI have asked me to, but I've refused. I do not participate in this business. In England, I am an Arsenal fan, not a potential investor in British football clubs.'
Lord Bell of the London PR consultancy, Bell Pottinger, called The Observer on Friday to say that he represented both Berezovsky and Badri and that neither is an investor directly in MSI.
'They've put investment in the stadium. Both have been approached by MSI to invest both in Corinthians and potentially West Ham - not that any bid has yet been made or put together. But neither has participated.
'Boris isn't particularly interested in investing in football teams as such. He is interested in the infrastructure of football, which he thinks could provide a good return.'
Berezovsky was the mentor of Abramovich before he accused the Chelsea owner in 2000 of acting for the Russian president Vladimir Putin and forcing him and Badri to sell their shares in Sibneft, the Russian aluminium company, and a TV station to Abramovich for a reduced price of $1 billion. He and Badri were placed on the international wanted list in 2003 by the Russian government and Berezovsky, who has lived in London since 2000, was granted political shelter in the capital last September.






i personally think that west ham are on the verge of being bought out by MSI and because of the transfer window finishing today they brought in tevez and mascherano. by loaning them to west ham if a deal falls through they can always get the players back at the end of the season.
watch this space




come on you hammersbanana3

[matt1chelski]

Cant understand these 2 high profile players going into a team not capable of top 10 status... No CL either!!!

Eaisily capable of top 10, i would think.

[DelTrotter]

i wish fergie and the glazers would pull their finger out!

Utd are being turned down for West Ham what has happened.

fergie has one striker who gets banned all the time and 2 who are crocks. struggling times ahead.

im chuffed for West Ham cos there a true English Team and support there has always been fantastic.

Tevez is gonna cause havoc, the best player playing in Brazil is coming to England
wooooooooooot

[ereader]

just got this from westfans.org



West Ham Utd will unveil Corinthian's Argentine duo Carlito Tevez and Javier Mascherano as their new signings at a press conference this lunchtime. We have spoken with M.S.I, who own the players registrations, and they have confirmed that the deal has been signed, although we weren't able to speak with Kia Jooberachim, the mysterious front man, who is represented by Pini Zahavi, the man who brokered Roman Abramovich's purchase of Chelsea.
We have reported MSI's activities for some time now, the extremely well funded MSI last turned up as potential purchasers of Aston Villa, so there is a possibility that they may now be re-kindling their interest in West Ham, having been seriously over quoted the last time that they enquired about taking a majority stake at the Boleyn.
Of course in the short term fans won't give a monkey's about where or how the players have arrived, the fact is that Alan Pardew and, to give them the credit they deserve, the board, have struck a superb deal that will see Hammers blessed with the two 'World Class' players that were promised.
After all the uncertainty and manoeuvering of the last few weeks, fans can finally say that they have got their man, or men in this case! There will be some serious bragging rights excercised through the course of the day, we wonder how many Tottenham fans will come onto this site giving it the large today? - Ed