Carlos Tevez - reuters

zurich,switzerland (ap)

FIFA failed to rule on the proposed transfer of Carlos Tevez from West Ham to Manchester United after meeting yesterday with England's Football Association and the Premier League.

A decision will be made later this week on whether world football's governing body will intervene on the matter, FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren said yesterday.

Both Manchester United and West Ham want FIFA to sort the issue out before the transfer window closes on August 31.

Kia Joorabchian, who owns the Argentina striker's economic rights, has organised the mooted move. But West Ham, which holds Tevez's registration, has refused to sanction the player's transfer to United.

Joorabchian previously engineered the controversial transfer of Tevez and his Argentina teammate Javier Mascherano to West Ham in August 2006 from Brazilian club Corinthians. The Premier League investigated the contracts in April and found them to break the rules on third-party ownership, with an independent tribunal fining West Ham 5.5 million pounds (US$10.9 million).

Mascherano moved to Liverpool in January on a Premier League-approved contract.

West Ham said it rewrote Tevez's contract after the fine and now has a four-year deal with the player. Joorabchian believes Tevez has a one-year contract with escape clauses.

The Premier League wants West Ham to be entitled to any transfer fee, not Joorabchian. FIFA, which normally deals only with international transfers, is to decide if it has the authority to deal with the issue.