When Dacourt joined Roma in January, a £4.2m (€5.8m) fee was agreed between the two clubs – incorporating staged payments – while the 28-year-old also finalised personal terms on a four-year contract.

However, cash-strapped Roma then recently insisted on a re-negotiation of the deal, which led to talks taking place last Thursday between Leeds chairman Professor John McKenzie and Roma representatives.

A compromise fee, understood to be around £3.5m (€4.9m), has now been finalised, with confirmation of the deal due within the next couple of days.

Roma sporting director Franco Baldini confirmed: “We had an agreement with Leeds over the permanent transfer of Olivier Dacourt.

“The amount agreed is slightly lower than the amount previously requested by Leeds and there will not be any Roma players included in the agreement.

“Dacourt will stay in Rome until 2006. I sent a fax to Leeds this morning regarding our talks last week and the deal should be officialised between today or tomorrow.”

The move represents a £3.7m (€5.1m) loss for Leeds who joined United from Lens in the summer of 2000 for what was at the time a club record £7.2m (€10m).

The collapse of the transfer market has hit Leeds hard for only last year Lazio and Juventus were interested in signing Dacourt for fees double that figure.

Meanwhile Australia international midfielder Paul Okon could be another player on his way out of Elland Road after finding himself surplus to requirements under manager Peter Reid at the end of last season.

Okon was initially signed by former manager Terry Venables last summer on a free transfer from Middlesbrough, and after struggling with injury, eventually forced his way into the first-team where he made 21 appearances.

But the arrival of Reid led to Okon being dropped, and now he is considering his future, particularly amid fears he could miss out on playing for his country in the 2006 World Cup finals.

Okon is willing to stay at Leeds if he receives assurances from Reid he will figure in his plans, with talks due to take place over the next two weeks between the club and the player’s manager, Sydney-based Leo Karis.

“If the indications are that he will not figure as prominently under Peter Reid, he may look at the options,” revealed Karis.

“Paul is keen to play regular football week-in and week-out and if he is not going to do that at Leeds he would consider doing it elsewhere.

“Paul feels he can still offer something at this level and he is determined to go to the next World Cup, so he must look not just at his short-term future but his long-term as well.”

Centre-back Lucas Radebe, meanwhile, is poised to make his international swansong this week following an internal rumpus within the South African Football Association.

Coach Shakes Mashaba has been relieved of his duties by SAFA for the friendly with England in Durban this week after he refused to pick stars like Radebe, Benni McCarthy and Shaun Bartlett for the game.

Former coach Jomo Sono will now lead the team on this one occasion, with Radebe in the squad and due to make his 70th – and what is expected to be his final – appearance for his country.