Premier League happy to go to arbitration

The Premier League has told relegated Sheffield United they are willing to go to arbitration over West Ham United's punishment for irregularities in Carlos Tevez's transfer, a spokesman said.

"We wrote to Sheffield United to tell them that if they want to go to arbitration we are happy about that," he said.

He added that an arbitration panel would be announced tomorrow.

Sheffield United were relegated while West Ham survived the drop on the final day with Tevez playing a key role in the London club's survival despite flaws in his registration at the beginning of the season.

Tevez and fellow Argentine World Cup player Javier Mascherano, who moved to Liverpool in January, joined West Ham from Brazil's Corinthians in a controversial transfer on the August 31 deadline.

West Ham were fined a record £5.5 million last month by an independent Premier League commission which ruled that the players' contracts contravened rules by giving certain rights to third-party companies.

West Ham admitted the charge and escaped a points deduction that would have almost certainly condemned them to relegation and an estimated revenue loss of about £30 million.

Tevez is back home in Buenos Aires preparing for Argentina's friendly away to Switzerland on June 2, while British newspapers report that he is being chased by some of Europe's biggest clubs including Real Madrid and Chelsea.

The striker has said he would be happy to stay at West Ham but the London club may not be able to resist reported offers of around £35 million.