A Stunning Coup

Among the deadline (August 31) deals made by the English Premiership clubs, one stands way above the rest.

West Ham, an unfashionable club based in London, has signed not one, but TWO Argentinean internationals, Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, from Brazilian club Corinthians.

For those of you who don't follow soccer regularly, Tevez and Mascherano are not just two so-and-so players. Both of them played a key role in Argentina's run to the final eight in the World Cup this summer. The 22-year-old Tevez was the Argentine football writers' Footballer of the Year in 2003 and 2004. And after helping Argentinean giant Boca Juniors to win the domestic championship and the Copa Libertadores, he was also named the Sportsman of the Year in 2004, and was amongst the scorers in their 6-0 drubbing of Serbia and Montenegro in the World Cup.

As for Mascherano, also 22, he has won 20 caps for Argentina so far, and was one of the best defensive midfielders in the World Cup. He was also instrumental in helping Argentina to win the gold medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and become runners-up at the 2004 Copa America.

These two players have been long-term targets of many major clubs in Europe, including the Hammers' rivals Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United in the Premiership. And their price tags are simply out of this world. Take Tevez as an example. It has been suggested that for him to leave the club, the buying team has to pay the contract's release clause, which is between 69 million to 83 million pounds.

How did West Ham outsmart everyone, and how on earth can they afford these two highly promising players?

Well, no one outside the clubs involved can say for sure, as the details and the fees involved in the deal have not been made official. In fact, apart from stating that the deals are permanent (instead of a loan deal as many have thought), West Ham has said that "all other aspects of the transfers will remain confidential and undisclosed."

One of the reasons, as suggested by some, is the link between the Hammers and Media Sports Investment (MSI), an investment group which owns the rights of the two players.

Last season, West Ham was linked to a takeover by MSI, but the deal fell through in the last minute. Some suggested that MSI would like to increase the exposure of the two players by playing them in arguably the best league in the world, with a view to increasing their value when selling them in future.

However, the signing of a permanent deal by these two players seems to have crushed that speculation. But it also suggests that the takeover bid is once again back in the picture.