West Ham would consider taking legal action against former chairman Terence Brown and managing director Paul Aldridge if they are found guilty of Premier League charges of fielding ineligible players.

The club have been charged by the League with breaching rules over the signings of Argentina stars Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.

If West Ham are found guilty they could be fined or even have points deducted — in which case it is understood they would consider a legal claim against Brown and Aldridge.

The pair negotiated the transfers but have both left the club since the takeover by current chairman Eggert Magnusson.

The current chairman has admitted that he would never have entered into the sort of transfer agreement that brought the players to Upton Park on transfer deadline day last August.

The charges had been expected by West Ham but the whole issue is the last thing the relegation-threatened club need at this time.

Premier League rules forbid the ownership of players by third parties who might be able to influence a club, and the South American pair were part-owned by Media Sports Investment, the company run by Iranian-born businessman Kia Joorabchian who then became involved in a takeover attempt for the club.

West Ham's legal advice is that they can demonstrate that MSI's part-ownership of the players had no influence over the club because then-manager Alan Pardew did not pick the duo very often.

Indeed, Mascherano appeared so infrequently that he has since moved to Liverpool.

West Ham said in a statement: "In light of the legal advice received, the club will vigorously defend itself against the charges and provide a detailed response as requested by the Premier League within the time allowed."

The Premier League outlined the charges in a statement which said: "It is the Premier League board's complaint that there were agreements in relation to both these transfers that enabled third parties to acquire the ability materially to influence the club's policies and/or the performance of its teams in League matches and/or the competitions set out in Rule E.10.

"The board's view is this constitutes a breach of Rule U.18.

"Furthermore at the time of the transfer agreements for both Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, and until 24 January 2007, West Ham United failed to disclose the third party agreements to the Premier League and/or deliberately withheld these agreements from the Premier League.

"The board's view is this constitutes a breach of Rule B.13, which states 'In all matters and transactions relating to the League each club shall behave towards each other club and the League with the utmost good faith'.

"West Ham United has 14 days within which to respond to these charges."

Once West Ham have responded, the next step will be for a disciplinary commission to be set up to hear the charges with both sides appointing top barristers to argue the case.

Joorabchian, meanwhile, released a statement through his lawyers claiming that MSI were not involved in any discussions with the Premier League during the transfer process but insists the deals were conducted in the standard way by the Hammers.

He said: "The transfers of Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez to West Ham United were cleared by the club's legal director in the usual way.

"The companies involved in the transfers have no knowledge of what was and was not disclosed to the Premier League as that part of the transaction is not their responsibility.

"West Ham have assured us they acted in a good and proper manner at all
times."