Boss Jim Magilton has confirmed that Argentinian left midfielder Luciano Civelli will be at the club next week. The Town manager says the move for the 22-year-old Banfield winger is very close to being completed.
Magilton told the club site: "I think we are at an advanced stage now and we are very optimistic that a deal can be done.
"We're hopeful that he will be over at the start of the next week and then we will take it from there.
"We have other irons in the fire but there certainly won't be wholesale additions to the squad. I'm very happy with the players we have here.
"It's our aim to get a few out on loan though. Jordan Rhodes and Jaime Peters will be getting first team experience at Brentford and Gillingham and we are trying to get a few more out as well. It's important that players are playing games."
Meanwhile, a Banfield website has revealed more details regarding the terms of the deal with Town.
According to Banfieldmania, the Blues will own 100% of Civelli's federative rights, his registration, and will take 50% of his economic rights, but with an option to buy the other 50%.
Situations of this type are common in South American football where stakes in players often belong to an outside investor, while the player's registration belongs to his club. The investor makes their money when the player is sold on.
What got West Ham in trouble with the Premier League over the signings of the Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano was not the ownership of their economic rights by a third party, but entering into a contract which enabled that third party to influence its policies. Kia Joorabchian's Media Sports Investments was given the right to terminate the players' contracts which is a contravention of Premier League rule B13. More details here.
Banfieldmania put the fee for Civelli at the rather precise US$1.1325 million (£834,468.19), a figure lower than the one mentioned by Banfield themselves, although the officially quoted US$1.5 million (almost £1.1 million) was gross and the lower amount may be net.
Town are said to have dealt with Banfield through an intermediary rather than doing so themselves. This will have been Argentinian scout Horacio Lorda, who the Blues have engaged to represent them in their dealings in order to avoid some of the pitfalls involved in signing players from South America. Lorda was previously involved in the 1994 deal which saw Mauricio Taricco join Town from Argentinos Juniors.
Banfield it appears were forced to sell Civelli due to economic necessity with internal politics having stalled their eventual decision to agree to sell the player to the Blues.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have confirmed that skipper John Terry is out of tomorrow's FA Cup tie at Stamford Bridge with a back injury.