Chelsea sign Porto defender Bosingwa

AFP ©

LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea signed Portugal right-back Jose Bosingwa from Porto for 16.2 million pounds (20.5 million euros) on Monday.

The 25-year-old agreed a three-year contract with the Champions League finalists and will move to London after competing in Euro 2008.

"Jose Bosingwa has agreed terms with Chelsea Football Club and will join the club after Euro 2008," a statement on Chelsea's website confirmed.

After missing out on the English title to Manchester United on Sunday, Avram Grant's side have gained a small measure of revenge by beating United in the race to sign Bosingwa, who was also attracting interest from Liverpool and Aston Villa.

Bosingwa played alongside his new Chelsea team-mates Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira at Porto. But his arrival could spell the end of Juliano Belletti's brief stay at Stamford Bridge after a series of mediocre performances from the Brazilian defender.

Bosingwa was born in Kinshasa, Congo, but moved to Portugal with his parents when he was a child.

His performances for Boavista convinced Jose Mourinho to sign him for Porto in 2003 and he has helped continue the club's domestic dominance as well as winning six caps for Portugal.

He was also involved in a serious car accident three years ago when his jeep skidded off a motorway and rolled down an embankment before bursting into flames. The defender was with four other players at the time, but all survived.

Porto had earlier announced a deal was done in a statement to the Portuguese Stock Exchange: "We inform the market that we have an understanding with Chelsea for the rights to our player Jose Bosingwa for the price of 20.5million euros.