• Brazil midfielder signs from Benfica for £18.2m
• West Ham fail in application for Miralem Sulejmani
Chelsea
have been given the go-ahead to complete the £18.2m
transfer of the Brazil midfielder Ramires from Benfica after the
player was granted a work permit at a tribunal today.
The clearance came this afternoon after the Chelsea assistant
manager, Ray Wilkins, and the club secretary, Dave Barnard,
attended a hearing in London and argued their case for Ramires to
receive a permit under the special circumstances clause, given that
he has not played the required 75% of games for Brazil over the
past two years.
The panel sanctioned the signing of the 23-year-old widely
recognised as one of the most sought-after young talents in the
game. The Brazilian is expected to arrive in London tomorrow to
complete the paperwork, although he is unlikely to be considered
for Saturday's visit of West Bromwich Albion to Stamford
Bridge.
West Ham United
will have to appeal after the Serbian
forward Miralem Sulejmani, signed provisionally on loan from Ajax
yesterday, saw his application rejected. The 21-year-old, who was
not included in his country's squad for this summer's World Cup
finals, had agreed a 12-month deal subject to being granted a work
permit after spending two years at Ajax following a £13m move from
Heerenveen.
Fulham were disappointed in
their pursuit of the defender Slobodan Rajkovic, who spent three
years with Chelsea on loan at PSV Eindhoven and FC Twente in
Holland, and is now a free agent. Mark Hughes attended his hearing
today but saw the 21-year-old's work permit application rejected,
with an appeal likely to follow.