"We are very,very close," said Benitez yesterday.
"The player is coming here. Everybody knows because Espanyol have put it on their website that he is coming here for a medical. We are very,very close but he has not signed yet.
"He has experience in the Premier League and that is really important. If everything is okay we can talk about his qualities, but for now we will just say he is the option we are looking for."