Southampton midfielder Rudi Skácel has agreed terms with the Blues and the move could be completed by the end of the week, according to reports in the Czech Republic. A week ago, TWTD was first to break the news that Town were targeting the 28-year-old left-sided Czech international.
Skácel was at Playford Road last Tuesday for a look around and a medical after Town and the Saints agreed a £1 million fee. The former Hearts. Panathinaikos and Marseille man subsequently returned to Prague to consider his options with a number of German sides also believed to be interested in securing his signature.
The midfielder, who spent the final few months of last season on loan at Hertha Berlin, was believed to be concerned that his international career might be affected if he was playing in the Championship rather than a top division.
Skácel, 29 this Thursday, is yet to formally sign on the dotted line and a number of clubs are still believed to be interested, however, no other potential move is understood to have progressed anywhere near as far as Town's.
Yesterday, Southampton head coach Jan Poortvliet revealed that Town and Skácel, now back with the Saints for pre-season training, were in "final negotiations†regarding personal terms, which reportedly were a sticking point when he was in Suffolk a week ago.
The left midfielder started his career with Hradec Králové in his home country, moving on to Slavia Prague in 2002.
After just over a year with Slavia, during which time he won the Czech Cup and was in the Czech team which won the 2002 European U21 Championships, Skácel joined Olympique Marseille in France for €2.5 million, where he spent two years but failed to make a serious impression, particularly after manager Alain Perrin moved on.
Loan spells at Panathinaikos and then Hearts followed, before a permanent £1.6 million switch to Southampton in the summer of 2006, the Trutnov-born player signing a four-year deal.
In January, Skácel made his move to Hertha Berlin in an attempt to win himself a place in the Czech squad at Euro 2008, something he felt was unlikely if he was playing in the Championship.
Skácel, who has been capped five times by his country, scoring his only goal on his debut against Canada in 2003, was called into the Czech squad for the tournament as a late replacement but failed to make an appearance.
Hertha are believed to have had an option to sign Skácel but decided against making the move a permanent one.
Skácel, who is primarily a left midfielder but was used as a left-back on occasion while with the Saints, is well known to Town's new international scout Simon Hunt, who brought him to both Hearts and Southampton.