Mineiro

[.Cee 50]

Appiah and Miniero are free agents...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-20735337/

[TrueChelseaBlue 105]

well Mineiro has the experience, being 33... a decent player, appiah, hmm another decent player lol, i wouldn't mind either one of them, but tbh with ya, you cannot replace Essien.

[.Cee 50]

well Mineiro has the experience, being 33... a decent player, appiah, hmm another decent player lol, i wouldn't mind either one of them, but tbh with ya, you cannot replace Essien.

Yeah, just a temporary replacement during his injury as it's several months long...

[the wes 7,212]

Chelsea have confirmed they are on the brink of signing Brazil international Mineiro as a replacement for the injured Michael Essien.

Luiz Felipe Scolari has been pressed into action following a long-term knee injury suffered by Essien and is now close to concluding a free transfer move for his countryman, who is available outside the transfer window having left Hertha Berlin over the summer.

Mineiro, 32, also reportedly had a trial with Arsenal recently but it is West London where he will be plying his trade for the 2008-2009 season after agreeing to join The Blues as cover for John Obi Mikel.

It is believed that the holding midfielder successfully underwent a medical on Friday and Scolari’s assistant, Flavio Murtosa, has confirmed that Mineiro is on the way to Stamford Bridge.

“We have practically completed the recruitment of Mineiro,” Murtosa told Radio Bandeirantes.

“He was available, out of contract with the German club, and at this time we had the chance to hire him and satisfy our need [for a new midfielder].”

Despite Arsenal’s possible need for midfield reinforcements, Wenger has ruled out a move for Mineiro having already dismissed suggestions that he could be poised to sign Ghanaian free agent Stephen Appiah.

"At the moment we do not sign Mineiro - the questions [about transfers] are endless here!," said Wenger.

"You have players who have no contracts who can sign anywhere they want, but at the moment we are not on the verge of signing anybody."

Mineiro has 25 caps for Brazil and is well known to Scolari having spent the majority of his career in his home country with teams such as Ponte Preta, Sao Caetano and Sao Paulo.

He joined Hertha Berlin for the 2006-2007 campaign and made 36 Bundesliga appearances in two seasons with the club.

setanta.com

[True_Blue 469]

Mineiro is old i would prefer Appiah

[chrismada9 1,948]

Chelsea are set to sign veteran Brazil midfielder Mineiro on a free transfer.

The 33-year-old has been without a club since leaving German side Hertha Berlin at the end of last season.

Mineiro had been linked with Arsenal and Birmingham, but now looks set to seal a move to Stamford Bridge within 24 hours after agreeing terms.

"Mineiro is a player I need because I lost Michael Essien for six months and only Jon Mikel Obi is there for us," said Blues boss Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Ghana midfielder Essien is out for around six months after suffering an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury while on World Cup qualifying duty.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/t...sea/7628308.stm

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Hmm.. at 33 years of age. I know a bit of him from his days at Hertha Berlin but that's about it. He's played for a lot of clubs in Brazil

[.Cee 50]

Mineiro is old i would prefer Appiah

It's just until Essien is fit so it doesn't matter imo...

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I'd prefer Appiah as well, but with Mikel fit, the player we sign is basically going to be a reserve player - they can't play in the UCL, for example/

[Elliott 7]

Closing topic seeing as Mineiro signed.