Georgian considering Hammers takeover

Georgian businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili has revealed he is considering investing in a potential bid for West Ham - possibly with Iranian-born businessman Kia Joorabchian.

Joorabchian orchestrated the transfer of Argentina internationals Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano to West Ham, and has been strongly linked with the bid.

And a spokesman for Patarkatsishvili revealed: "It is true that Kia Joorabchian is my friend and we have done business together in the past. At this time I am not involved in any possible bid for West Ham but I am thinking about it and cannot exclude such a possibility in the future."

Patarkatsishvili, Georgia's largest private investor and chairman of the Georgian Business Federation, this week sold the Russian newspaper Kommersant for around US$200million and recently secured News International as an investor in his Georgian media company Imedi.

But he is not welcome in Russia because of his close friendship with exiled oligarch Boris Berezovsky, a rival of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

Berezovsky was reported to be providing the financial weight behind a proposed takeover bid - but he confirmed he has no plans to invest in West Ham.

His associates issued a statement which read: "Mr Berezovsky wishes to make it clear that he has absolutely no involvement financial or otherwise in any possible bid for West Ham."

Patarkatsishvili, Berezovsky and particularly Abramovich have all been rumoured to be investors in the Media Sports Investment consortium that was headed up by Joorabchian until June this year.