Pardew says Argentines will stay

Tevez and Mascherano joined West Ham at the end of August

West Ham boss Alan Pardew is confident Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano will remain at Upton Park.

Pardew has held talks with Kia Joorabchian, the man who helped bring the Argentine pair to Upton Park, and said: "They are both likely to stay.

"My meeting with Kia was constructive. He showed he has a motivation for the two guys to be a success here, as I do, and we hope that is the case."

Tevez has already said he does not want to leave the Hammers.

The 22-year-old has struggled after coming from Brazilian side Corinthians and there was speculation he, along with Mascherano, would quit after Eggert Magnusson's takeover.

He has failed to score since signing in August and told The Sun: "If the new owner wanted me to leave, that is what I would have to do.

"I'd respect what he wanted as it's his club, but I'd prefer that he and manager Alan Pardew wanted to keep me."

Tevez has close links to Joorabchian, the Iranian-born businessman who lost out to Magnusson in the battle for control at West Ham.

But he has told Joorabchian he wants to stay, despite storming out of Upton Park after he was substituted in the 1-0 win against Sheffield United.

Tevez said: "What happened wasn't good but it's finished now. The positive thing to come out of it is people understand I care.

"I'm not just here to fill a number, I want to stay and play."

West Ham boss Pardew asked Tevez's team-mates to decide on a punishment for his early exit - and they decided he had to wear the shirt of fierce international rivals Brazil in training.

But Tevez said: "I just couldn't train in a Brazil shirt. I wouldn't do it. It was like asking an Englishman to wear a German kit - he'd never do that.

"I'm happy to be making a donation to charity, but it's just too much to wear the strip of my country's biggest rivals.

"I played in Brazil for Corinthians and enjoyed my time there, but I couldn't be seen wearing their national shirt."