Oddo offered to Valencia

S.S. Lazio are set to send full-back Massimo Oddo on a seven-month free loan to Spanish champions Valencia CF.

Option to buy
In a statement released tonight, the Serie A club said Oddo, called up to the Italy squad for the first time earlier this year, would be available to Valencia from 1 December to 30 June 2003. The Spanish side, through to the second group stage of the UEFA Champions League, will also have the option to buy him for €7m.

Players sold
Oddo is the latest player to be shuffled around by the Rome-based team, put up for sale this month by food group Cirio, who hold a majority stake. On Tuesday, the club's accountants Deloitte and Touche said they could not verify the club's results for the financial year ended 30 June. Between July and September, Lazio lost nearly €45m and sold defender Alessandro Nesta and striker Hernán Crespo for €48m in the close season in a bid to boost finances.

Money paid
Lazio, who are through to the third round of the UEFA Cup, also said today that they had paid the final €12m instalment for midfielder Gaizka Mendieta, who they bought from Valencia in 2001. Earlier this month Manchester United FC announced they had started legal action to recover €19m owed to them by the Italian side for the sale of Dutch defender Jaap Stam in August 2001.