Manchester City have announced the capture of Chelsea fringe-man Tal Ben Haim...
A successful work permit application is all that stands in the way of Tal Ben Haim's switch from Chelsea to Manchester City.
City have announced the agreement via their official website, stating: "The 26-year-old former Bolton man has penned a four-year contract and becomes Mark Hughes second signing as City manager.
City have announced the agreement via their official website, stating: "The 26-year-old former Bolton man has penned a four-year contract and becomes Mark Hughes second signing as City manager.
"Ben Haim becomes the second Israeli player to join the Club following in the footsteps of City legend Eyal Berkovic."
The first signing was, of course, big money Brazilian forward Jo from CSKA Moscow.
The left-sided defender has been unsettled at Stamford Bridge for some time. He slammed former boss Avram Grant late last season, insisting that Jose Mourinho was the reason he joined the Blues.
However, although another new boss has been installed in the shape of Luiz Felipe Scolari, Ben Haim didn't feature in his long-term plans and continued to push for an exit.
Ben Haim joins for an undisclosed fee, thought to be around £5m. He has been in the Premiership for four-years, having started his career with Maccabi Tel Aviv before moving to the Reebok Stadium for a bargain £150,000.
He will be assigned a squad number once the transfer is 100% completed. City are hoping to retain their first-choice centre-backs Richard Dunne and Micah Richards, but Ben Haim will be keen to force his way into the first team after languishing on the bench and in the reserves in the capital.
However, although another new boss has been installed in the shape of Luiz Felipe Scolari, Ben Haim didn't feature in his long-term plans and continued to push for an exit.
Ben Haim joins for an undisclosed fee, thought to be around £5m. He has been in the Premiership for four-years, having started his career with Maccabi Tel Aviv before moving to the Reebok Stadium for a bargain £150,000.
He will be assigned a squad number once the transfer is 100% completed. City are hoping to retain their first-choice centre-backs Richard Dunne and Micah Richards, but Ben Haim will be keen to force his way into the first team after languishing on the bench and in the reserves in the capital.
