Chelsea expect to sign Robinho - Kenyon

Premier League leaders Chelsea expect to sign unsettled Brazilian forward Robinho from Real Madrid in the next 48 hours, chief executive Peter Kenyon said yesterday.

"We are confident that it (the transfer) will get done but I think we have always said it will go to the wire," Kenyon told Sky Sports News.

"We will keep moving it along and we would hope that he will be coming to join us at Chelsea."

The 24-year-old has been a target for the London club and new Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari for much of the close season.

Robinho, whose contract with Real runs to 2010 and includes a buy-out clause of 150 million euros ($220.6 million), said last week that he was determined to join Chelsea and asked the Spanish club's directors to negotiate with them.

British newspapers have put a fee of up to 36 million euros on the deal.

The Guardian quoted Robinho's agent Wagner Ribeiro as saying an agreement was in sight, with the transfer window closing on Monday.