Sheffield United could be the subject of an investigation for allegedly breaching the same rule that they want to see West Ham relegated for, according to a newspaper report.
The Yorkshire club believe they have a realistic chance of being reinstated to the Premier League when their case is heard on Monday, at the expense of West Ham, following the irregularities that occurred as a result of the third party ownership issues involved in the transfers of Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez.
However, in a further twist, the Premier League have now confirmed that they are to look at Steve Kabba's transfer from Sheffield United to Watford, with the possibility of third party interference being investigated.
Kabba was not allowed to face former club Sheffield United following his switch to Vicarage Road in January and the Premier League are eager to learn why the player was deemed ineligible - as any attempt to block the striker from appearing would contravene existing laws.
"The current rule makes clear that once a move becomes permanent there can be no contractual terms to prevent a player playing against his old club," a Premier League spokesman told the News of the World.
"The statements surrounding the Steve Kabba transfer were brought to our attention late on Friday and early next week we will look at our documentation and ask our two clubs to submit any further documents, or agreements, for scrutiny."
The case mirrors that of Tim Howard, who was prevented from playing against Manchester United, despite the fact a deal had been put in place for the American to move to Goodison Park on a permanent basis.
