Tottenham Hotspur are close to agreeing a 5million
(£3.3million) deal for Benfica defender Ricardo Rocha, with the
final decision now resting with the Portuguese club's president,
Luis Filipe Vieira.
The North London club have been pursuing the stopper during the
January transfer window and opened talks on Friday in a bid to
persuade the Lisbon-based side into a sale.
Whilst Vieira is known to be reluctant to part with the
28-year-old, reports in Portugal suggest that the two clubs have
come to an agreement over the transfer fee, with Spurs also obliged
to play two friendlies in Lisbon.
Rocha is already understood to have agreed a four-year deal with
Spurs, and now the deal hinges on Vieira's personal acceptance of
the transfer.
A final decision is anticipated on Monday after the agreement
broached by Spurs sporting director Damien Comolli, former Spurs
star Ronnie Rosenthal and Benfica representative Jose Veiga.
Benfica have reportedly rejected rival bids from both Real Sociedad
and Reading, but club president Vieira is still remaining coy about
whether he will sanction the move.
"We are in negotiations, we can secure the agreement or not,"
Vieira told Maisfutebol.
"Ricardo Rocha has a contract until 2010 and certainly feels good
at Benfica.
"We have no haste in negotiating for Rocha, he is our player."