Transfer coup too good to refuse, says Pardew

West Ham manager Alan Pardew insists the chance to sign Argentinean duo Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano was an opportunity not to be missed.

The 22-year-olds signed for the Hammers in a shock transfer deadline day deal which brought the pair to east London from Brazilian club Corinthians and Pardew was excited by the deal.

“I knew about 36 hours before the window was to shut that there was an opportunity to sign them,” said Pardew. “When it was put to me there was an opportunity they could seriously be coming, as a manager you don’t turn down that opportunity.”

The Hammers boss revealed he was surprised by what he saw as the “negative” slant placed on how the players had arrived with West Ham, with the pair owned by Media Sports Investment, a company rumoured to be behind a takeover bid for the Premiership club.

“One of the reasons I wanted this press conference was to see what the take was, a lot of it has been negative,” Pardew told the conference, televised by Sky Sports News.

“The transfers system is changing day by day, but I know our players will welcome them with open arms. They come into a community that is quite settled and I know they will enjoy that.”

Pardew understands why there has been such interest in how the two World Cup stars came to join the Hammers.

“I can understand it,” he said at the press conference, televised by Sky Sports News.

“These are two guys on the world stage who have come to us in a manner which is undisclosed and has some mystery around it.

“I can’t worry about that, as a manager I want to work with the best. Who’s to say I haven’t got eight or nine world-class players already?

“As for the terms of the deal, I have to put that to the back of my mind.

“We have brought some marvellous players into this club from all corners of the Football League, now we have gone up a level.

“At the end of the season let’s review it. Hopefully we can then look at it for two or three years, they have signed four-year contracts – people forget that.”

Pardew urged supporters to “rejoice” and cast aside their scepticism concerning the double deal.

“I thought it was a fantastic move for us to take us to the next level,” he said. “Anything else is not relevant in my view.

“Who said it was a temporary measure? They’ve signed four-year contracts at this club.

“You can argue that Rooney at Manchester United has signed a four or five-year contract and it’s the same proposition as we have here.

“That’s how I look at it as a manager, as Sir Alex Ferguson will look at Rooney’s contract.

“And I believe we possess a player, particularly in Carlitos (Tevez), who is going to threaten that kind of quality.

“If he brings that kind of quality to my team I’m all open ears to that and I want that in my team.

“I want to manage and coach at the highest possible level and this gives me the opportunity to do that, to compete.

“It is intriguing, it’s intriguing to me, but to be honest I don’t care. I’m so pleased they’re here, so pleased we’ve got two world-class players at West Ham. And our fans should rejoice, that’s my view.”

Striker Tevez also was keen to justify his move to Upton Park.

He said on Sky Sports News: “First and foremost West Ham were very interested in our services and made us a firm offer and the chance to play in the Premier League which were important factors in why we chose to come to West Ham.”

Mascherano then insisted: “It was a boyhood dream of ours to come to England. You want to go where you are going to be most wanted.”

Pardew insisted the signings were indicative of the ambition he has and that the club as a whole have.

He added: “I don’t want to be a mediocre club, I want success. I want success wherever I go and I’m enjoying my job here.

“Some of the reports I have seen say that I am going to be forced to play them. That will never happen with me, and if it does happen, I won’t be here.”

Mascherano was impressed by how wanted the Hammers had made he and Tevez feel from the outset of discussions.

“We maybe did have (other) offers but they didn’t come to fruition, and the best thing to come out was how loved we were by West Ham,” he said on Sky Sports News.