The Brazil international, 28, is said to be closing in on a move to Super League side Jiangsu Suning.

Ramires has not started a league match since Guus Hiddink replaced Jose Mourinho as manager and Chelsea seem set to turn a profit on a player they paid £18m to sign from Benfica in 2010.

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He had attracted interest from European heavyweights including Bayern Munich and PSG but the Chinese outfit appear to have won the race. Ramires would join a growing list of Brazilians plying their trade in China, including former Tottenham midfielder Paulinho, under ex-Blues boss Felipe Scolari.

According to the Guardian, which puts the likely fee at around £20m:

Jiangu Suning are coached by the former Chelsea player, Dan Petrescu, and would be willing to pay around £20m for the Brazil international’s services. Their squad are currently on a training camp in Málaga, and Ramires could potentially link up with his new team-mates in Spain prior to their departure back to China if a deal is thrashed out.

Our view

John Obi Mikel’s unlikely resurgence claims a high-profile victim, and potentially removes a big obstacle to first-team exposure for Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Ramires is expendable and it’s a decent price – capitalising on the Chinese league’s fetish for Brazilians. Good business for Chelsea, if rather unexpected. The rise of Loftus-Cheek is the key factor here - it's time to start trusting in the young player and see what he has got.

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