Manchester United are confident Lazio will pay the outstanding balance on Jaap Stam's transfer fee after reporting the Italian side to FIFA for missing an instalment.
United have brought in world football's governing body after the Serie A side defaulted on a £3million instalment of the £16.5million fee for Stam, who moved to Rome at the start of the season.
Lazio are experiencing financial difficulties this season, but United do not expect any further problems with the payment of the remainder of the fee.
United's director of communications Paddy Harverson said: "They were late on an instalment and so we have taken it up with FIFA. But we're confident that Lazio will pay us our money."
This is not the first time United have had to report a foreign club to FIFA over missed transfer fee payments. They were involved in a long-running wrangle with Benfica a couple of years ago over Czech international Karel Poborsky's.
PA