Post by Taxigirl on Feb 6, 2004 18:45:17 GMT
Chelsea are close to beating Juventus for the services of Bayer Leverkusen defender Lucio this summer.
The Brazilian international is a target for the Italian club as they look to rejuvenate their ageing rearguard.
However, the stopper has fuelled speculation that he could be set for a move to the Premiership instead.
"The offer from Chelsea is the most concrete I've received so far," said the 2002 World Cup winner.
"Moving to London would not be a problem for me. After all, it's not much colder than in Germany."
Lucio, who has been at Bayer for the last three seasons, was close to joining Roma last summer but personal terms couldn’t be agreed.
That was amidst rumours that Juventus had hijacked the deal but Bayer have themselves admitted that they are holding talks with Chelsea.
"It’s no secret," said general manager Ilja Kaenzig. "There is a chance that he might be leaving us at the end of the season."
Juve could now turn their attention to Parma defenders Matteo Ferrari and Daniele Bonera who may be available for transfer in June.