Hammers - No announcement expected
West Ham have denied an announcement is imminent on Eggert Magnusson's proposed £75million takeover of the club.
The Icelandic businessman, who is head of the Football Association in his own country, has been reported to be meeting Hammers chairman Terry Brown this week for discussions. His initial bid was turned down last week but he returned with an improved offer and it was understood that an announcement on the matter could be made soon.
Responding to the possibility of an announcement happening on Thursday, a spokesman for the club insisted: "This is absolutely, categorically not the case."
The funding for the deal is expected to be provided by a respected Icelandic financial institution - although not the investment bank Straumur-Burdaras of which Magnusson is vice-chairman.
The Hammers have also been linked with a takeover by a consortium headed by entrepreneur Kia Joorabchian, who orchestrated the transfer of Argentina internationals Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano to Upton Park.
Alan Pardew's men, however, have not won since the arrival of the pair and have lost their last six matches in all competitions, including a defeat to Italian side Palermo which knocked them out of the UEFA Cup.
Foreign investors have been attracted to English clubs by the lure of the next Premier League broadcasting deal, which will see income from television rise by an average of 67% for clubs in the top flight, as well as the prestige of owning a global brand.
