Italian champions Lazio have signed Argentinean striker Hernan Crespo from Serie A rivals Parma in a record-breaking deal worth £35.7 million sterling. The transfer's valuation exceeds the £31 million which Inter Milan paid Lazio for Christian Vieri last year, although both Mathias Almeyda and Sergio Conceicao are joining Parma as part of the deal.
Crespo was Parma's all-time leading goalscorer with 80 goals in 150 Serie A appearances and Lazio believe the South American striker can help them win the Champions League next season.
It is believed that Lazio had not wanted to part with Conceicao, with the Portuguese winger angrily saying: "I deserved greater respect for what I have given to this club. I still know nothing about it, no-one has told me I could be sold."
The clubs reached agreement on the price of each player and Lazio said in a statement: "The value of Crespo is 110 miliardi (£35.7-million)." Almeyda was valued at £14.6 million, while the price tag for Conceicao, the scorer of a hat-trick against Germany at Euro 2000, was £9.7 million. Parma will also receive more than £11.4 million in the transfer over a three-year period.
Crespo's arrival comes only a few days after Lazio purchased his compatriot Claudio Lopez from Champions League finalists Valencia of Spain.
The Rome-based club already have a strong forward line with Chilean Marcelo Salas, young Italian Simone Inzaghi and Croatian Alen Boksic, who is still in talks with UEFA Cup winners Galatasaray.
Manchester United have agreed to sell Massimo Taibi to Italian side Reggina for £2.5 million. Taibi, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Reggina, is now tying up the loose ends of the deal with the Serie A club.
United chairman and chief executive Martin Edwards said: "We have agreed a fee with the club and it's now down to the paperwork."
United are prepared to take a £2 million loss on Taibi just to get rid of the Italian after they paid Venezia £4.5 million for him 10 months ago. The deal made Taibi the most expensive goalkeeper in British football, but he failed to live up to this billing with a series of gaffes as he conceded 11 goals in his four games for United.
The final straw came when he was beaten five times at Chelsea at the start of October and in January he was sent back to Italy to spend the rest of the campaign on loan at Reggina.
Taibi had hoped to return to Old Trafford this summer, but United told him he had no future at the club after they signed French number one Fabien Barthez in a £7.8 million deal from Monaco.
