Chelsea have confirmed they have reached agreement with Bayer Leverkusen over the transfer of Andre Schurrle.
The Blues' interest in the 22-year-old stretches back to last summer, and it appears that a deal is now finally in place to bring the forward to Stamford Bridge.
statement on the club's official website on Thursday read: 'Chelsea Football Club and Bayer 04 Leverkusen have reached an agreement for the transfer of Andre Schurrle, subject to the completion of legal documentation and related matters, including personal terms and passing a medical.'
Previous reports had suggested that Kevin De Bruyne could move the other way, but the Belgian winger is not thought to be part of the deal, which is estimated at around €21 million.
The imminent arrival of Hamburg attacker Son Heung-Min may have played a key role in Leverkusen's decision to part with Schurrle, with the 20-year-old South Korean set to move to the BayArena in an €10 million deal.
Schurrle admitted to conversing with new Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho during last week's 'World XI' v 'Ballack and friends' friendly fixture, and hinted that a move to the Premier League could be just around the corner.
The former Mainz man scored 11 Bundesliga goals for Sami Hyypia's men last season, and has played 24 times for his country, hitting the back of the net on seven occasions.
He is Mourinho's first signing since returning to Chelsea, with Vitesse's Marco van Ginkel also thought to be on his way after the conclusion of the Netherlands' European Under-21 Championship campaign.
