West Ham’s capture of Argentine duo Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez in August shocked the football world. The Hammers had pulled off a major coup to seize two of the game’s most prized assets, but their arrival took place under a cloud of mystery.
Corinthians had a partnership agreement with Media Sports Investment (MSI) who invested in the club and it is alleged that the company actually owned the rights to all the club’s players (due to Corinthians being unable to afford the contracts). It is believed that the partnership between Corinthians and MSI went sour and it is believed that MSI wanted to ship its most precious assets to protect its investments.
Both players arrived from Brazilian club Corinthians within 48 hours of inquiring about a move to West Ham and arrived for undisclosed fees. Speculation mounted as to who actually paid the transfer fees (if any) and who owned the contracts.
It is believed that despite the players being registered with West Ham, MSI still owns the players’ contracts and is only using the London club as a storefront to maximize its investment. Before West Ham was offered the players, reports suggested MSI approached Manchester United and Chelsea with a similar deal, both clubs are believed to have turned down their offer as they were uninterested in the idea of not owning the players completely.
English newspaper The Guardian reported that if any club offered £35m for either player, West Ham would be forced to sell them, but it is unclear who would pocket the transfer fee.
Since their arrival at Upton Park, both players have not made any impact on the Premiership and have admitted that they have not fully adjusted to life in England. Neither player is a first-team regular in the Hammers’ starting eleven and their arrival has coincided with the club’s downturn in form. This is linked to reports of a crack in the dressing room and this has clearly had an impact on results as West Ham are flirting with relegation.
Newspaper reports suggest that both players will be sold on the January transfer and a host of top European clubs are believed to be showing interest. Mascherano is believed to have been set to join Juventus over the summer, but his relegation to Serie B cut short any potential transfer. The Turin club are still interested in the holding midfielder and are considering sounding out a possible move in the winter transfer window. Barcelona have also been heavily linked with Tevez as they currently have an injury crisis up front. Carlos Tevez has insisted that he does not want to leave West Ham and has denied rumors of a break up in the Upton Park dressing room and has stated that he is determined to forge a career with The Hammers.
With the mystery over who owns the players and their contracts, it will be out of the hands of Mascherano and Tevez where they will end up in the near future.
