Ghana midfielder Michael Essien is leaving Olympique Lyon to join Chelsea, the French champions confirmed today.
Essien will sign a five-year-contract with the English champions for a €38 million transfer fee, club official Bernard Lacombe told reporters.
The fee for the 22-year-old is a record in transfers involving Ligue 1 players.
Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba set the previous record when he left Olympique Marseille for Chelsea for an estimated 37.5 million euros in July last year.
Chelsea, Lacombe said, would pay cash next week.
"Financially, it's an extraordinary operation," he said. "It's one third of our budget and it represents the entire budget of some Ligue 1 clubs."
A Lyon club official said Essien's medical at Chelsea was expected to take place on Tuesday morning.
The French champions resisted pressure from the wealthy London club for weeks. Essien had said he was desperate to join Chelsea and no longer wanted to play for Lyon.
"For him it was not a question of money," Lacombe said. "It was his dream to play in England."
The gifted Ghanaian has not played a competitive match for Lyon this season, with coach Gerard Houllier saying he could not select a player whose mind was not on the game.
