Hammers charged over Argentine duo

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LONDON, England -- The English Premier League have charged West Ham with breaching ownership rules in buying Argentine players Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano last August.

The league have viewed the transfers as having breached a rule that no club should enter into a contract enabling another party to influence its policies or performances.

A statement on the League's Web site said: "The Board have submitted a complaint that agreements were in place in the case of both transfers to enable "third parties to acquire the ability to influence the Club's policies...or the performance of its teams."

The League did not name the third parties.

The pair were signed on the last day of the transfer window from Brazilian club Corinthians although mystery surrounded the details of the deal.

The deal was also not the first time West Ham and Corinthians have been linked. Just over a year earlier an investment group, Media Sport Investment, which bought Corinthians in 2004, were in negotiations to buy West Ham.

MSI, headed by Iranian-born businessman Kia Joorabchian, had talks with the West Ham board in August 2005.

Joorabchian had said that he would spend lavishly especially on new talent but the deal failed to go through.

"At the time of the transfer agreements for both Tevez and Mascherano, and until January 24, 2007, West Ham United failed to disclose the third-party agreements to the Premier League and/or deliberately withheld these agreements," the Premier League said.

Two months after the transfer saga Icelandic businessman Eggert Magnusson bought the East London club.

Their former chairman Terry Brown resigned earlier this week after staying on as non-executive director following the takeover.

West Ham are struggling second from bottom in the Premier League and neither Argentine has fulfilled expectations.

The Premier League said the club had 14 days to respond to the charges.

The club later issued a statement saying they would answer the charges within the two weeks the Premier League stipulated.

"In light of the legal advice received, the club will vigorously defend itself against the charge and provide a detailed response as requested by the Premier League within the time allowed," the club said in a statement on their Web site.

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