West Ham sign Tevez and Mascherano in coup of the season

Bringing sparkle to East London

1 September 2006 11:36 GMT / By Chris Hall

Pocket-lint has something of a soft spot for West Ham United which makes the signing of Tevez and Mascherano welcome news indeed.

In what smacks of a great bid of good old Cockney trading, the pair have signed permanent deals with the club for an undisclosed fee. Having starred in the World Cup, both players were expected to make big money moves to top clubs. West Ham have beaten off the likes of Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal in signing the players.

The really interesting part is in the "ownership" of the players, with MSI, Media Sports Investments, being involved the deal, and also having shown previous interest in WHUFC. Last year MSI made a failed bid to buy the football club for £75m. Perhaps they know something we don't.

Of course, the players are almost certainly guaranteed to play week in and week out - a move to Chelsea could have found them sitting on the most expensive bench in London.

Whilst the fans are celebrating the signing of new talent to the club, there remains the fuzzy blurring of the lines between the beautiful game and complicated business deals.

Full tags

Sports Fitness, Football, Sports Fitness industry, West Ham