Wigan chairman Dave Whelan is considering legal action against either West Ham or the Premier League following the furore surrounding the signings of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.

Lawyers are looking into the findings of an independent panel that last week ordered the club to pay a fine of £5.5million after finding them guilty of two charges of irregularities relating to the transfers.

Whelan believes they should have been deducted ten points but it is understood the Premier League are privately satisfied with the commission's final judgment.

The commission, chaired by Simon Bourne-Arton QC, was free to hand down any penalty it felt proportionate and appropriate as there is no recommended sanction contained within the regulations, nor has there been a precedent to the charges faced by the Hammers.

It is believed lawyers representing Fulham and Middlesbrough are at the forefront of deciding whether there are grounds to sue.

If that is the case then those two clubs will be supported by the Latics, Sheffield United and Charlton, sparking a potential civil war in English football.

''The legal issue is being looked at by lawyers and QCs,'' confirmed Whelan.

''Whether anything comes of it I cannot say because we are waiting for their advice.

''But the chairmen and chief executives of the clubs involved have spoken quite a lot about this, and two of the clubs are obtaining legal advice.

''We, as a club, have not gone to the lawyers. If it is recommended we can take action - we won't just be chasing nothing - then we will support it.

''If the advice we are given is positive and we can sue either West Ham or the Premier League, then I'm sure that will happen.''

Whelan added: ''But the Premier League have handled this in a very poor manner. The law is the law, and I think the whole league has been treated badly."