• Premier League

Chelsea assistant Wilkins says Ramires deal imminent

Soccernet staff
August 8, 2010
Ramires played for Brazil at the World Cup © Getty Images
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Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins has said he expects the deal to sign Benfica midfielder Ramires will be completed "pretty shortly".

With only Yossi Benayoun having arrived so far, Chelsea are looking to bolster the squad after Deco joined Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti in leaving Stamford Bridge this summer.

Ramires appears certain to arrive in the near future after the clubs agreed a fee of £18.2 million, and Wilkins is hopeful he will arrive in the coming days.

"Nothing has been finalised as yet, but we are certainly in the mix for Ramires," he told Radio Five Live. "We would like him to join us and hopefully that will go through pretty shortly."

Asked if he could feature in Chelsea's opening Premier League fixture, Wilkins said: "We would like to think something like that would happen."

Persistent reports have claimed Ashley Cole is determined to leave England amid interest from Real Madrid, but Wilkins has joined Carlo Ancelotti and chairman Bruce Buck in rubbishing the claims.

"Ashley is fine and he has trained extremely well with us," Wilkins said. "He only came back on the 26th, so he is not at full speed as yet, but he seems to be in a good frame of mind and there has certainly been no chat between Ashley and myself as regards him leaving."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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