After winning a landmark legal victory through an FA tribunal, club sources believe West Ham are now likely to seek an out-of-court settlement rather than prolong the arbitration process which is due to continue with an initial hearing on compensation set for next Thursday. However, West Ham said their lawyers were seeking routes to appeal.

It can also be revealed that a key witness during the two clubs' arbitration process was Kia Joorabchian – the football agent whose third party "ownership" agreement with Tevez sparked the whole affair.

Joorabchian, now a paid consultant at West Ham, had to be subpoenaed to attend the hearing but it is understood United were happy with his evidence.

In addition, leading figures in the game gave expert witness evidence on United's behalf, including former England manager Graham Taylor and Frank Clark, former European Cup winner and current vice chairman of the League Managers Association. Clark said he was delighted with the outcome which he described as "justice".

And with the football world in turmoil over the verdict, former United manager Neil Warnock called for the Premier League's chief executive, Richard Scudamore, to resign over the issue.

Warnock bitterly attacked how Mr Scudamore and the Premier League dealt with West Ham's breaching of rules governing third-party ownership of players – which the London club admitted an official had lied about.

A disciplinary commission controversially decided not to dock West Ham points for breaching the rules towards the end of the 2006/07 season and left it up to the Premier League to decide whether to allow Tevez to play in the critical last three games of the season or cancel his registration.

Ultimately the league allowed Tevez to play and he had a pivotal role in the club winning all three games and avoiding relegation at United's expense by gaining three more points.

The FA arbitration panel judgment said: "On the totality of the evidence, we have no doubt that West Ham would have secured at least three fewer points over the 2006-07 season if Carlos Tevez had not been playing for the club."

Click on the links below for more Blades news:
Warnock calls for Scudamore to quit.
Blackwell will have millions to spend.
Hammer horror show cast shadow over football.
Tevez timeline.
Listen to our experts give their verdict on the Blades podcast.