Chelsea have moved ahead of Barcelona and Arsenal and are now most likely to sign the Russian forward Andrie Arshavin, according to reports.
The 27-year-old, who shone at Euro 2008, has flown into London for talks over a move to Stamford Bridge.
Zenit St Petersburg are understood to have accepted £12 million bids from Chelsea and Barcelona, despite the club insisting only recently that they had no intention of parting with their forward - talks with the Russian yesterday are believed to have persuaded the club to give their consent to his departure.
Arshavin has made his desire to play in La Liga known since the end of Euro 2008, with Barcelona at the top of his list. However, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is confident he can persuade his compatriot that the Premier League would best suit his talents.
He is also apparently receiving entreaties to move to England from his wife and mother, who believe that settling in London would be easier than in Spain.
A deal for Arshavin could be tied up as early as this weekend, as new Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is keen to set his sights on other targets including Real Madrid winger Robinho.
Madrid are asking for over £30 million for the Brazilian, but Chelsea are unlikely to spend over £27 million. Robinho has been linked with a move from Spain since the beginning of summer, as he is frustrated by the continuing refusal of the club's board to increase his wages.
