Chelsea to sign Benfica midfielder Ramires

London: Chelsea have agreed to sign Brazil midfielder Ramires from Benfica for a fee of 22 million euros (18 million pounds), the Portuguese club said.

The deal is subject to the 23 year-old passing a medical at the Premier League club. Ramires joined Benfica from Cruzeiro in May 2009 and a month later he earned his first senior cap for Brazil.He played a key part in the Benfica team which lifted the Portuguese title in May for the first time in five years, making 26 appearances and scoring four goals.The pacy versatile midfielder went on to earn another 15 caps, including five appearances at the Confederations Cup in 2009 and four at this year`s World Cup in South Africa, where Brazil were knocked out by the Netherlands in the quarter- finals. Bureau Report