West Ham have begun an investigation into the reported £10million transfer of Savio Nsereko from Brescia in January 2009.
Nsereko was signed a week after David Sullivan and David Gold completed their takeover of the club from the collapsed Icelandic bank Straumur.
He made just one Premier League start during a seven-month spell at Upton Park and managing director Karren Brady has confirmed that the club is looking into the circumstances of the deal.
“The deal is something I’m investigating," Brady said in her column in the Sun.
“Just before this board took over, the club paid a huge amount to Brescia for the German Under-21 who took part in a handful of matches and then departed for Fiorentina at a fraction of the price.”
West Ham would not comment further on the progress of the club’s inquiries.
Brady's move follows reports that Savio is set to face trial in Germany after allegedly faking his own kidnapping.
He is reported to have called his family from Thailand telling them he had been abducted and demanding a sum of 3,000 euros (£2,400). However, police arrested him after becoming suspicious at the small ransom demand.
