Arsenal - biggest Brazilian Community in London :P

You guys probably already know this, but here goes anyway!

Saturday 8th July 2000
Updated 7:29pm BST
EDMILSON DEAL 'VERY CLOSE'

Arsene Wenger is poised to take his summer spending spree to an incredible £25 million with the imminent signing of the Brazilian international Edmilson.
The deal to take the 22-year-old from Sao Paulo to Arsenal has only to be signed, according to a spokesman at the Brazilian club.

Edmilson has been tipped for a move to the Premiership club for around a month after impressing Arsene Wenger during the manager's tour of South America, which also saw him sign Edu from Sao Paulo's rivals Corinthians.

Sao Paulo spokesman Jose Dias confirmed that the deal should be completed early next week after a £5 million fee was agreed.

"Edmilson is virtually an Arsenal player," he said. "All he needs to do is sign on the dotted line."

The player will fly to England over the weekend, and is expected at Highbury on Monday, after Brazilian coach Wanderley Luxemburgo granted him permission to miss a couple of days training with the national squad.

Luxemburgo said: "It is common-sense to allow this because the transfer will be important to the player."

Edmilson admitted he was delighted to be with the Brazil squad, but will not object to being sent to England.

"People need to know that I am not a machine, but I am going to accept and Wanderley Luxemburgo understands that I am not forcing the situation after we met. For me, to be selected is a dream that is being carried through," he said.

Wenger has already snapped up the signatures of France's Robert Pires, along with Lauren Mayer and Brazil's Edu, for a combined fee of £19.2 million, as he seeks to bolster his squad for a two-pronged assualt on European and domestic glory.