The 28-years-old international midfielder has turned down offers from major European clubs for favourites Chelsea and Jose Mourinho. Chelsea's coach has worked with Maniche during Porto's glory days and knows his skills.

Nuno Maniche seems to be very excited with the deal and the only obstacle at the moment is the player's medical test. He plays for Dynamo Moscow and the club has agreed to proceed with the transfer.

Under the deal, Maniche will move to Chelsea until the end of this season on loan, with the option of staying there permanently. Jose Mourinho wants to use the Portuguese midfielder as a replacement for Michael Essien, who has suffered from injury and will miss action for at least a month.

If Chelsea agrees to a permanent move, the transfer is expected to cost 5 million pounds (sterling).

"I hope to pass the medical and join up with Chelsea - I'm counting the days. I have had offers from other big European teams but once Chelsea became interested there was only one team," Maniche said.

"I would be crazy to turn them down because of the manager and I have known some of the players there for years. Mourinho is the key to me signing - he has been after me for some time. He is my maestro."

"My greatest moments in football I owe to him and I hope to repeat this success at Chelsea. I have been linked with a move to England in the last few years - now it seems that it is finally going to happen."

Jose Mourinho spoke to reporters about his transfer plans after Chelsea's win against West-Ham yesterday, saying "We will sign nobody or one player in the window. If we sign one player he will be a midfield player."

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