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

The 22-year-old World Cup stars joined the Hammers in a shock deadline-day deal which brought the pair to east London from Brazilian club Corinthians.

Pardew said: "I knew about 36 hours before the window was to shut that there was an opportunity to sign them.

"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 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 said.

"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."

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

"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."

Striker Tevez justified his move to Upton Park.

He said: "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 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.  PA