FA to probe Hammers' Mascherano deal

The Football Association have confirmed they will investigate allegations of financial impropriety surrounding West Ham’s controversial signing of Javier Mascherano last September.

The News of the World claims to have acquired documents detailing a secret payment of £339,000 in relation to the deal, which it says was not disclosed as is required to the FA.

An FA spokesman said: “We can confirm that we have received some documents and we will be investigating the matter further.”

The Hammers are already facing a separate charge from the Premier League regarding the circumstances surrounding their signings of Mascherano and Carlos Tevez last year.

The Hammers have been accused of breaking Premier League rules which forbids ownership of players by a third party. The pair’s contracts are allegedly part-owned by the Media Sports Investment company.

West Ham have already announced they will vigorously contest those charges, which if found guilty could see them facing a heavy fine or a possible points deduction.

The latest controversy will take some of the gloss off the club’s 2-1 victory over Blackburn at Ewood Park yesterday, which gave Alan Curbishley’s men a fighting chance of Barclays Premiership survival.

West Ham were not immediately available for comment today but a spokesman told the News of the World: “All documents relating to the Mascherano and Tevez transfers have now been submitted to the Premier League to assist with their on-going inquiry.

“That includes the so-called third party agreements and all payments relating to them which were passed on by the club’s new owners in January.”