Veron to be offered to English clubs for £31 million

SS Lazio star Juan Sebastian Veron is being offered to Premiership clubs for £31 million.

One of the player's Argentine agents has made the offer to the richest English clubs to start negotiations with the Italian champions who have been resisting interest from Real Madrid in midfielder Veron. The player has spent two seasons in Rome after a move from Parma AC for £18 million. Before that he was with Genoa side Sampdoria.

Veron helped Lazio to win the Italian championship last season but could move on in the summer with his principle agent - Gustavo Muscardi - due in England by the weekend to offer the player to clubs.

So far Liverpool have shown interest in the Argentine who is currently mired in a passport controversy over his claims in November last year to be an Italian citizen.

Lazio and Veron applied for an Italian passport to allow the Rome club to field an extra non-EU player during their successful championship campaign last year.

Court hearings are due in March to decide is any wrong doing took place after Lazio traced Veron's family tree to a great grandmother in southern Italy.

Last week Veron denied that he wanted to leave Lazio and join Real Madrid but the club may be prepared to off load their midfield star to finance rebuilding under coach Dino Zoff in the summer.

Any move for Veron would smash the current British transfer record which stands at £18 million for defender Rio Ferdinand which was paid last November by Leeds United to West ham.

Veron's availability would attract a storm of business interest in Italy, Spain and England. He is regarded as one of the best midfielders in the modern game and should be one of the main stars of the 2002 World Cuop finals. He has captained Argentina to a healthy lead in their CONMEBOL qualifying section.

Liverpool's interest in the player could see a host of stars off loaded to finance the purchase which would take the current transfer market in the Premiership to another level.

Dietmar Hamann and 1998 Lazio target Michael Owen could be used to help the deal go through but Muscardi is likely to be trying his luck in England rather than expecting serious interest at such a high price for his client.