Al Sadd have warned Lazio that a deal for Mauro Zarate is a long way from being sealed.

The Qatari club said in a statement: "Thanks to the excellent relations between the two clubs, it has been decided to postpone the deadline to the end of April for when we can take into consideration offers for the player.

"The deal with Lazio is not yet concluded, but we have made our conditions clear to them. The only thing we agree on is that the two clubs have an excellent rapport."

The 21-year-old would end up costing a grand total of £20m, as Lazio already paid £3.6m to take Zarate on loan for this season.

"I tell the Lazio fans that everything is going as it should have and you'll see in a few months who Zarate is playing for," Lazio president Claudio Lotito told Laziosiamonoi.it yesterday.

"I always maintain my promises. I cannot give any official announcements, as otherwise that would complicate the negotiation process, but I tell the fans that it's all going extremely well."