Tevez to remain at West Ham until end of the season

Carlos Tevez appears certain to stay at West Ham United until the end of the season following meetings between the club and Kia Joorabchian, the businessman who holds the "economic rights" to the player and his fellow Argentine, Javier Mascherano.

Despite an acceptance from both sides that it would be in everyone's interests for the pair, both 22, to move on eventually, given Joorabchian's failure to take control of West Ham during the recent takeover battle, it is now unlikely that they will leave in January.

That is partly because Fifa have clarified that it is unwilling to bend its rules - it had initially indicated it would - which prevent a player signing permanently for two clubs during a season. But also, in the case of Tevez, it is because he is now contributing to the team and his transfer value would have been far lower if he left having failed. For Mascherano the situation is less clear and it is possible that he may petition football's world governing body as he, at present, does not feature for West Ham and could argue a special case - that his career is being adversely affected by staying.

Both arrived at the end of the summer transfer window in deals shrouded in secrecy. No transfer fee was paid by West Ham and although they hold the players' registrations they, effectively, do not control them. There are also clauses allowing them to leave, if any bid acceptable to Joorabchian is made. Although they may not leave in January, it has been agreed that they will leave at the end of the season.

Yesterday, the club's manager, Alan Pardew, who has worked hard to improve the players' fitness, said he had also met Joorabchian. "The meeting was constructive and he showed he had the motivation for the two guys to be a success here, as I do, and we hope that is the case," he said. "I think they are both likely to stay."

Tevez was disciplined for walking out after last Saturday's victory over Sheffield United - when he was substituted - and Pardew said he was happy with the player's subsequent apology. "He's shown in the last two games that he has now got a grasp of the Premier League," Pardew added. "Perhaps we have not seen the special quality that he has got. We've seen flashes of it, and hopefully will see a lot more from now until the end of the season.

"There is a huge adjustment for these great players. The game is so fast and furious at times you have to take on board how physical and demanding this Premier League is. You could put a number of players in that category. Quality players find a route around it in the end."

Pardew said West Ham had received a boost from the "buoyancy" of the Icelandic consortium which now owns the club and, in particular, the new chairman, Eggert Magnusson. He moved yesterday to make his first changes to the boardroom with the departure of the managing director, Paul Aldridge, and the promotion of Scott Duxbury, previously the company secretary and commercial and legal affairs director, who will be deputy chief executive officer.