Chelsea are reported to be close to securing a deal for Porto defender Ricardo Carvalho.
Carvalho, a member of Porto’s Champions League winning team, is understood to be tempted to reunite with former boss Jose Mourinho, now the new man in charge at Stamford Bridge.
According to the BBC, Carvalho is set to fly to London to seal an initial £17m deal.
Last week Mourinsho admitted he was still looking to strengthen his defence before the start of the new season.
Carvalho has also been linked with a switch to Real Madrid although La Liga club have already recruited Argentinian defender Walter Samuel and would balk at the prospect of paying £17m for anotehr defender.
Since beating Monaco 3-0 in the Champions League final, Porto have lost coach Mourinho and defender Paulo Ferreira to Chelsea, while midfield playmaker Deco has joined Barcelona.
