THE Carlos Tevez saga has finally come to an end after West Ham agreed an out-of-court settlement with Sheffield United for compensation.

The affair has rumbled on for almost two years, when the Argentinian forward helped the Hammers escape relegation at the Blades expense.

However, it was found that Tevez's deal with West Ham contravened the League's rules on third-party ownerships, and it was ordered that the club must pay compensation to United.

An independent tribunal was scheduled to take place today (Monday) to resolve the dispute, but the two clubs have come to an agreement, believed to be somewhere in the region of £10-15million.

West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury said: "Both clubs are pleased to announce that a satisfactory settlement for compensation has been reached which brings the dispute between Sheffield United and West Ham United to an end. The tribunal will not be resuming.

"For everyone concerned, the time was right to draw a line under this whole episode. We have had very positive discussions over a number of days with Sheffield United and acknowledge their willingness to resolve this in the best interests of both clubs.

"This now allows us to concentrate on our immediate ambitions, which include a strong finish to the Premier League season and possible European qualification, without any negative impact on our long-term project. We wish Sheffield United well in their bid to secure promotion from the Championship."