Tevez to have his day in court

Tevez has been confirmed as a key witness in the dispute and preparations are already under way for his testimony to be translated from Spanish.

At a preliminary hearing in the High Court this morning, Mr Justice Blackburne agreed to fast track the case so it can start on 22 August.

Tevez's representative, Kia Joorabchian, is suing West Ham for breach of contract after the club terminated a third-party agreement with his companies, Media Sports Investments and Just Sports Inc.

United want to sign the 23-year-old and, in a bid to speed up the legal process, Joorabchian's lawyers have applied to the court for an interim injunction.

Should they win, the ruling would allow Tevez to move to Old Trafford with the financial elements of the dispute sorted out at a later trial.

West Ham oppose the injunction, claiming their third-party agreement with Joorabchian is legally "invalid and unenforceable", but the club made no attempt to block the fast-track process.

A High Court judge will now deliberate on the arguments at the three-day injunction hearing when Tevez, along with Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore and West Ham director Scott Duxbury, are expected to be cross-examined.

"Does Mr Tevez speak English?" Justice Blackburne asked at today's hearing. "Not much," replied Joorabchian's barrister, Charles Hollander QC, before the judge suggested employing a translator.

Hollander had earlier stressed the need to hear the injunction element of the case before the transfer window closes on 31 August.

He said: "The end of the transfer window is looming and Manchester United may be starting to look in other directions."

Defending West Ham, Michael Bowsher QC revealed the club intend to challenge the "authenticity" of a key document relating to the third-party agreement signed by Joorabchian, Tevez and Duxbury.

It was suggested in court that handwriting experts may even be called upon to support their argument over the validity of the contract.

Bowsher said: "The signatures of these individuals other than those signatures from West Ham were not made on the date purported to be made on and that is relevant."

But Joorabchian's camp insist their agreement with West Ham is legally binding.

Though a hearing date has been set, West Ham and the Premier League are still hopeful of an out-of-court settlement.

A spokesman for West Ham said: "We have taken the steps in case this matter is to go through the courts - this does not preclude an out-of-court settlement. But it is no more or less likely now."