Gedson Fernandes is expected to fly into the UK next week to finalise the deal

Benfica midfielder Gedson Fernandes is close to joining Tottenham on an 18-month loan deal, after choosing the club over London rivals West Ham.

The 21-year-old, who has two senior caps for Portugal, is expected to fly into London on Monday or Tuesday to finalise the deal.

Benfica agreed deals with both Tottenham and West Ham but Fernandes has opted to sign for Spurs, who are managed by fellow Portuguese Jose Mourinho.

Terms are now being finalised between Tottenham and Benfica while personal terms between the player and club are not expected to be a problem.

Tottenham want to sign a midfielder following the injury to Moussa Sissoko, who has been sidelined for three months after undergoing surgery to the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

0:59 Portuguese journalist Filipe Dias explains to the Transfer Talk podcast why Benfica are ready to sell Gedson Fernandes in January. Portuguese journalist Filipe Dias explains to the Transfer Talk podcast why Benfica are ready to sell Gedson Fernandes in January.

Chelsea have also been interested in signing Fernandes and offered an 18-month loan deal with an obligation to buy for £55m, provided the player features in at least half of the games during the loan spell.

West Ham also offered a one-and-a-half-year loan deal, but their obligation to buy amounted up to £33m and the percentage of games to trigger the clause would be less than Chelsea's.

Fernandes' release clause is £102m but Benfica have conceded they will not get close to that figure for a player who is out of favour and is reported to have fallen out with head coach Bruno Lage.

How to follow the January transfer window with Sky Sports

Sky Sports will bring you the very latest news from the January transfer market with the return of three shows.

Start your day with Good Morning Transfers at 9am as our team of reporters bring you the latest news and insight. Transfer Talk then follows at midday delivering analysis of the biggest stories. Then join us at 7pm for the definitive round-up of the day's news with The Transfer Show.

Meanwhile, the Transfer Talk podcast will also be back at the turn of the year with more expert analysis from here and across the continent.

And as well as tuning into Sky Sports News, don't miss a thing with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.