Pressure mounted on West Ham United last night after documents presented in court appeared to show that the club had entered into a second agreement with the owners of Carlos Tévez.

On a dramatic day in the High Court, Media Sports Investments (MSI) and Just Sports Inc (JSI) produced the contract that was signed by West Ham after the club’s new Icelandic owners had taken control in late November.

The contract made amendments to the original third-party deal agreed last summer when Tévez and Javier Mascherano arrived at Upton Park. The new agreement, dated December 1, was signed by Scott Duxbury, the club’s deputy chief executive who was legal director at the time, and Kia Joorabchian, who fronts MSI and JSI, and Tévez.

The revelations could be significant because the Premier League’s independent commission said that one reason for not deducting points from the club was because the new owners should not be penalised for the misdemeanours of a previous regime.

It is believed that West Ham sought changes to the initial agreement because it gave MSI and JSI the option of paying the club £100,000 to move Tévez in the summer.

West Ham initially claimed in court yesterday that the contract was not what it appeared to be. However, when the judge asked whether the club believed that it was a forgery, the club’s lawyers said no, but claimed that they had reservations about Tévez’s signature and the date on the copies of the documents.

The club claimed, outside court, that the contract had not been executed because they had not received copies of the countersigned agreements. The club added that the documents were supplied to the commission, which took them into account when it imposed a fine of £5.5 million in April for a breach of Premier League rules.

The saga appears set to be resolved soon after the court said that it will hear the case on August 22, for three days. MSI and JSI issued a writ against West Ham last week, seeking the court’s intervention to the club to release the registration of Tévez in accordance with their contract. “If a settlement is not possible then the club will present a robust legal case to the High Court,” West Ham said.

Tévez has agreed to a deal to join Manchester United on loan for two seasons with the option of a permanent move. Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, wants the issue resolved soon because the transfer window closes next month. “It has been dragging on and it can get frustrating, so we have to think about alternative plans that way, but I don’t let it annoy or worry me because we’re confident the player will arrive,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson plans to sit down with Gabriel Heinze when the player reports back for pre-season training on Monday. The Argentina defender wants to join Liverpool. United claim that they told Heinze verbally that he could not join Liverpool, who, like the player, want to establish whether a letter signed by David Gill, the United chief executive, stating that he could join any club for a set fee, is legally binding. “After I’ve met [Heinze] we’ll be clear about his intentions because it’s not at the moment,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson would rather Heinze join Inter Milan, who United play in a friendly at Old Trafford this evening, Real Madrid or Barcelona, all of whom have expressed an interest.

The Premier League confirmed that Liverpool have asked it to help to resolve the dispute with United. “They will take years,” Ferguson said. “They [the Premier League and Liverpool] can do what they like. We are quite confident on the situation.”

— Sir Alex Ferguson began clearing the decks for the imminent arrival of Carlos Tévez last night by selling Giuseppe Rossi to Villarreal for around £7.5 million. The Italy Under-21 striker will undergo a medical today with a view to signing a six-year contract with the Spanish club. Rossi made only one Barclays Premiership start for Manchester United after joining the club from Parma in 2004 and spent part of last season on loan to Newcastle United.