The world of football transfers and club ownership yesterday took an intriguing twist as West Ham United, the English Premiership club, announced it was in takeover talks with a company that has a "business relationship" with Boris Berezovsky, the Russian media oligarch and Roman Abramovich, the Russian owner of Chelsea.
A day after the east London club pulled off the astonishing transfer of two of the world's best players from Corinthians of Brazil, West Ham told the London Stock Exchange it had been in "exploratory discussions in relation to a possible bid".
The transfer deals were put together by Media Sports Investments (MSI), a London-based investment fund that controls Corinthians and which last night confirmed it was the party in bid talks with West Ham.
MSI, which is fronted by Kia Joorabchian, an English-educated Iranian, said: "Both Boris Berezovsky and Roman Abramovich have a business relationship with MSI and Mr Joorabchian."
Mr Berezovsky yesterday said regarding West Ham: "I don't want to comment on that one."
MSI added it had placed the two 22-year-old Argentinian stars at West Ham in return for a 90 per cent fee from any future transfers. The West Ham board earlier denied there was a "contractual" link between the bid talks and the signing of the players.
The surprise capture of two players, whose combined value could be in excess of £60 million (€89.1 million), by a club whose turnover in 2004-05 was £31.7 million, has raised eyebrows in English football circles.
