Parma's Nakata close to completing Chelsea deal: report

Japan international Hidetoshi Nakata is to trade in his jersey from Italian Serie A side Parma to sign a contract with English Premiership side Chelsea, a news report said.

The three-year deal, with an estimated transfer fee of 10 million pounds (16.35 million dollars, 13.89 million euro), will be signed in the next several days, the Tokyo Chunichi Sports newspaper said Saturday, citing a source close to Chelsea.

Executives of the club and 26-year-old Nakata already met in London in early May, the source told the newspaper.

Japanese television networks have already begun contacting Chelsea TV, the club's official station, for the rights to broadcast from practice sessions.

Though the English club faces financial difficulties, Chelsea chairman Ken Bates made an executive decision to take Nakata, former AS Roma and Perugia midfielder, the Tokyo Chunichi said.

With hotels and restaurants built next to its stadium, Chelsea wants to make the area a tourist attraction for Japanese, the newspaper said.

The club estimates it can recover the investment in Nakata in three years, the newspaper said.

Nakata's last game with Parma will be a friendly match with Japanese club Cerezo Osaka on June 4, the newspaper said.