Woody
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 Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:39 pm Post subject: Cant wait |
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until the lid has bin lifted on this story......
The man who brought Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano to West Ham insists there are no plans to offload them at the end of the season.
Businessman Kia Joorabchian has fiercely denied rumours the Argentina World Cup stars have only been moved from Corinthians to put them in the shop window for big-money moves next summer.
West Ham have refused to divulge any details about the transfers other than to say the pair, valued at over £60million on the open market, have signed "permanent contracts".
That approach led to speculation both players will soon be off to Chelsea or Manchester United with Joorabchian - having agreed a sell-on clause with West Ham - making a tidy profit.
But the Iranian-born businessman insists both Tevez and Mascherano could still be at Upton Park next season.
"It is preposterous to say they have just come here to be put in the shop window," said a source close to Joorabchian.
"There are no plans at all for them to move. This is the best place for them to be and show their talent to the full extent. It is good for West Ham.
"They are obviously not going to play in a team that is struggling against relegation but, if it all goes well, they will stay at West Ham."
That almost certainly means the Hammers will need to enjoy a successful UEFA Cup run and achieve Champions League qualification to stand any chance of keeping Tevez and Mascherano on board.
However, their chances will be increased if Joorabchian completes a takeover of the club, with Tevez and Mascherano just the first pieces in the jigsaw.
West Ham confirmed yesterday they have held preliminary discussions about a takeover. The club cannot confirm the identity of the potential bidder but Joorabchian is seen as a likely candidate.
UEFA, European football's governing body, certainly hope for the good of the game that Tevez and Mascherano are still West Ham players 12 months from now.
A UEFA spokesman said: "This is certainly a strange deal and it is worrisome because it is part of this evolution of football in which money always plays an increasing role and more traditional values such as loyalty or regional roots or liking for a club seem to be very old fashioned. We feel the same as the supporters.
"Football is more than a business. It is something completely different, it involves loyalties, emotions, fidelity.
"These are two exciting players but, at the same time, this was the jersey of Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst - people who spent their lives at the club.
"Maybe these players will be at West Ham 10 years from now. If so, that is great. But, at the same time, one cannot help but have some doubts."
UEFA's interest in the deal stems from 2004 when their suspicions were raised about Joorabchian following allegations of a worldwide network of agents and coaches.
At the time, Joorabchian's Media Sports Investment consortium had taken control of Brazilian club Corinthians and furnished them with record signings like Tevez and Mascherano.
Reports at the time stated Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich owned 15% of MSI. Joorabchian has since been linked with Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky and Georgian businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili.
But Joorabchian last night strenuously denied ever having business dealings with the trio. He has insisted to friends the Corinthians deal was financed by MSI's New York investors.
Sources close to Joorabchian said the company has no Russian investors.
UEFA are watching with interest but will not launch an investigation based on "anecdotal evidence" and without the discovery of a smoking gun.
thoughts please?????????
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