Sevilla are set to sign one-time wonderkid Paulo Henrique Ganso from Sao Paulo, figures at both clubs have confirmed, while Palermo's Franco Vazquez is also close to a move to the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan.
Sevilla have apparently had an €8 million bid turned down for the 26-year-old but reports suggest a €9.5m bid will be accepted, once issues in his ownership involving third-party investors DIS are sorted out.
Ganso joined Sao Paulo in 2012, with his career having stalled after he had first emerged alongside fellow teenage sensation and DIS investment Neymar at rival Brazilian club Santos.
Sao Paulo president Carlos Augusto de Barros, also known as 'Leco', told Brazilian channel SporTV that he had accepted the player's wish to move to Europe because of his excellent service through recent years.
"Ganso is out of the plans of Sao Paulo for the rest of the season," he said. "He told me that he would like to go to the team that he wants. It's a condition that I have to accept. He has always behaved very well, and contributed with his wonderful football."
Speaking as Sevilla presented Atletico Madrid holding midfielder Matias Kranevitter on loan and ex-Sampdoria winger Joaquin Correa as their latest permanent signing of a typically busy transfer window, the Andalusian club's sporting director Monchi admitted that moves for Ganso and Franco Vazquez were also close to coming together.
Bienvenidos al Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán pic.twitter.com/9yJMcGW2KR
- Sevilla Fútbol Club (@SevillaFC) July 12, 2016
"Deals for Ganso and Franco Vazquez are advancing, they are complex operations, not so much for financial reasons but for circumstances apart from Sevilla," Monchi said.
Sevilla have also signed two other attacking midfielders in Pablo Sarabia from Getafe and Hiroshi Kiyotake from Hannover already this summer, while midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak has left for Paris Saint-Germain and playmaker Ever Banega moved to Inter Milan.
Monchi said he was happy that the squad being assembled would be put to good use by incoming coach Jorge Sampaoli.
"We are going step by step, I am happy with what we are doing," he said. "We are matching the profiles that the coach wants. I am convinced he will know how to put together all the pieces. We have reacted in time and it is something for all of us at the club to be proud of."