London, April 27:

The double Argentinian deal has proved costly for West Ham. The club was fined £5.5 million after being found guilty over the transfers of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano. But the club have avoided a points deduction which could have ended their hopes of staying in the Premeirship.

The Premier League strugglers were found guilty of acting improperly and withholding vital documentation. The hearing report also said that the Premier League could terminate Tevez’s registration, and if West Ham want to play him they will have to re-sign him.

Tevez and Mascherano were part-owned by Media Sports Investment, the company formerly run by Iranian-born businessman Kia Joorabchian. The transfers were negotiated by former chairman Terence Brown and managing director Paul Aldridge, both of whom have left since the takeover by Eggert Magnusson.

Magnusson has already indicated he would never have agreed to the terms of the deal negotiated by Brown and Aldridge and the new regime will consider legal action if the judgement goes against West Ham.

Representatives from the club, including chairman Eggert Magnusson, and from the Premier League attended the hearing in London.

A West Ham statement read: “West Ham received a fair hearing. The club’s submission that the contracts gave no actual influence to any third party was accepted by the commission.”