Hernan Crespo should today announce he is leaving Chelsea after flying to Milan for a medical. If successful, he will depart after a single season in London, clearing the way for the arrival from Marseille of Didier Drogba at Stamford Bridge.
Crespo, 29, is due to join the Italian champions for a season on loan.
The Argentina international, who cost Chelsea £16.8 million, follows in the footsteps of his former team-mate Juan Sebastian Veron, who left Chelsea to join Milan's city rivals Internazionale on a one-season loan after being signed for £15 million last summer. Both negotiations were handled by the agent Fernando Hidalgo, who has managed to convince Chelsea to pay part of Crespo's £3.2 million salary next season.
"There is just a small detail to define but the official announcement should be made tomorrow morning," Hidalgo said last night.
Crespo will rejoin Carlo Ancelotti at Milan, the coach who signed him for Parma in 1996 from River Plate and who remains a huge fan. "He will not imbalance our dressing-room," said the coach of the Italian champions.
Marseille are holding out for £26 million for Drogba, having turned down a bid of £19 million from Chelsea on Monday. Yesterday, however, their coach Jose Anigo appeared resigned to losing the Ivory Coast striker.
"I'm sure the Russian (Roman Abramovich) will be back with a higher offer and, if they fall in line with (the president) Christophe Bouchet's asking price, then we'll be forced to let Didier go," said the coach.
"There are some offers you can't refuse. But, for the moment, Drogba's still a Marseille player and I want this issue resolved by July 21st. If it drags on beyond that it would be impossible to be ready for the start of the new season on August 7th.
Chelsea's new coach Jose Mourinho however may be ready to call Marseilles' bluff over Drogba by advising Abramovich to present the French club with a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum.
Although Abramovich shows no sign of calling a halt to the massive spending spree that has transformed Chelsea since he took over 13 months ago, Mourinho has the self-confidence to insist the club should not be held to ransom.
Marseilles president Christophe Bouchet said: "We felt Chelsea's offer was insufficient and have said now what the value of Drogba is. Not all offers are unacceptable and if we have one that matches our figure we will accept it."
Mourinho calls Drogba "a good option" but has admitted signing him would depend on whether Crespo stays the club, something that is now unlikely to happen.
Mourinho has been impressed by the sharpness and attitude of Adrian Mutu in training during pre-season workouts.
The Romanian striker looked an expensive misfit at the end of last season and there were reports that most of his Chelsea team-mates would have liked to see him moved out.
But the £15.8 million forward, who hit six goals in his first 10 starts for Chelsea before the goals began to dry up, reveals he has changed his lifestyle following a reconciliation with ex-wife Alexandra, a Romanian actress.
They have reportedly bought a house together just outside London to share with young son Mario and Mutu has said: "I made mistakes last season but I've changed.
"Sometimes when I should have stayed in the house with my family I went out. There are a lot of temptations in London and I am young and human. After scoring lots of goals early on I had difficulty keeping my feet on the ground but now I have realised that what happens on the pitch is the priority.
"I say to Chelsea fans 'watch this space' because I plan to do only good things from now on."
Mutu's new determination has persuaded Mourinho to keep him and, instead, offload Danish winger Jesper Gronkjaer to Birmingham City and Dutch veterans Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to Middlesbrough and Mario Melchiot - also to Birmingham.
Carlton Cole and Mikael Forssell are also out on loan to Aston Villa and Birmingham respectively.
Meanwhile, Ray Parlour could be poised to join Middlesbrough. Although the midfielder has a year left on his contract at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger is keen to offload him and Parlour has already held informal talks with Boro manager Steve McClaren.
While McClaren still retains an interest in recruiting Geremi from Chelsea, Middlesbrough officials have agreed a nominal fee with Arsenal and the 31-year-old would be offered a three-year contract.
Should neither Parlour or Geremi sign McClaren may turn to Newcastle's Gary Speed.
Keith Lamb, Boro's chief executive, is to meet Bolo Zenden's father and agent today to finalise details of the winger's proposed move from Chelsea.
Arsenal have completed the signing of the goalkeeper Manuel Almunia from Celta Vigo for an undisclosed fee yesterday.
The Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood says he is "becoming irritated" by Real Madrid's repeated attempts to hijack Patrick Vieira.
Hill-Wood said: "Real being linked with Patrick has happened so often before that it is starting to become irritating - we have no intention of selling him."
