SIR Alex Ferguson have cleared the way for the arrival of Carlos Tevez as West Ham faced new pressure over their controversial claim to the Argentine ace's registration.

The United manager has agreed to sell Giuseppe Rossi to Villarreal for £6.5m with the 20-year-old hitman agreeing terms with the La Liga outfit.

He will replace former Red Diego Forlan, who has joined Atletico Madrid, should he pass a medical today.

The Italian-American's departure from Old Trafford comes as the pressure is mounting on West Ham to release Tevez.

The High Court was yesterday shown documents by MSI and JSI - the companies that own Tevez's economic rights - claiming that the Hammers were still involved in a `third party deal' with his representatives, after their new regime took over.

It is alleged amendments were made to the orginal offending agreement - which later earned the London club a £5.5m Premier League fine - but that it wasn't removed and that could see West Ham back in the dock with the game's authorities.

The saga is due to be resolved by the court on August 22, but the new revelations could push West Ham to settle their row with MSI, JSI and Tevez's agent Kia Joorabchian before then.

Ferguson is confident of landing Tevez, who has agreed terms to move to United, and has let Rossi leave. Alan Smith is likely to follow him, with a £6m deal agreed with Newcastle, as United recoup some of their huge summer outlay on Owen Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson.