Tottenham Hotspur are close to agreeing a €5million (£3.3million) deal for Benfica defender Ricardo Rocha, with the final decision now resting with the Portuguese club's president, Luis Filipe Vieira.
The North London club have been pursuing the stopper during the January transfer window and opened talks on Friday in a bid to persuade the Lisbon-based side into a sale.
Whilst Vieira is known to be reluctant to part with the 28-year-old, reports in Portugal suggest that the two clubs have come to an agreement over the transfer fee, with Spurs also obliged to play two friendlies in Lisbon.
Rocha is already understood to have agreed a four-year deal with Spurs, and now the deal hinges on Vieira's personal acceptance of the transfer.
A final decision is anticipated on Monday after the agreement broached by Spurs sporting director Damien Comolli, former Spurs star Ronnie Rosenthal and Benfica representative Jose Veiga.
Benfica have reportedly rejected rival bids from both Real Sociedad and Reading, but club president Vieira is still remaining coy about whether he will sanction the move.
"We are in negotiations, we can secure the agreement or not," Vieira told Maisfutebol.
"Ricardo Rocha has a contract until 2010 and certainly feels good at Benfica.
"We have no haste in negotiating for Rocha, he is our player."