MIBR are on the verge of completing a deal for INTZ star João "⁠felps⁠" Vasconcellos, HLTV.org has confirmed.

The 22-year-old will fill the last vacant slot in the team as MIBR look to a future without North American players, as reported by ESPN last week.

Vito "⁠kNgV-⁠" Giuseppe was MIBR's number-one target, but the move was vetoed by former Immortals CEO and current executive chairman Noah Whinston, who had guaranteed in September 2017, upon releasing the player from his contract, that the 24-year-old would "never again be a part" of the organisation.

The team also approached FURIA with a view to signing Kaike "⁠KSCERATO⁠" Cerato, one of Brazil's hottest prospects, but the player's valuation, understood to be in the region of $200,000, coupled with his lack of top-flight experience, made Gabriel "⁠FalleN⁠" Toledo's troops go in a different direction.

felps close to reuniting with the old SK team

With the transfer to MIBR, felps will reunite with his former SK teammates, whom he helped to win five international events in 2017, most notably the ECS Season 3 Finals and ESL One Cologne, before being replaced by Ricardo "⁠boltz⁠" Prass on the roster following internal disagreements.

He leaves INTZ after less than three months with the Brazilian organisation, who signed the NoTag line-up at the end of September. Under his in-game leadership, the team reached the ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals and placed top-eight at PLG Grand Slam.

HLTV.org knows that, after the event in Abu Dhabi, felps informed his INTZ teammates of his decision to further his career in MIBR, who are expected to confirm the signings of Epitacio "⁠TACO⁠" de Melo and coach Wilton "⁠zews⁠" Prado soon.

With this transfer, MIBR will have the following line-up for 2019: