FC Porto manager André Villas-Boas is on the verge of becoming the new Chelsea manager, according to reports in Portugal.

The Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has agreed to pay the €15m (£13.2m) release clause in the Villas-Boas' Porto contract and the 33-year-old will travel to London for talks with the Stamford Bridge outfit.

Chelsea are expected to offer him €5m (£4.4m) a season, the exact salary José Mourinho earned at the west London club, according to Jornal de Notícias.

On Sunday the Porto president Pinto da Costa said that "if a club pay the €15m and if he wants to leave FC Porto can't do anything about it. Apparently, André Villas-Boas is willing to leave the 'dream job' [his position at Porto] to go to London and work at club where he was with José Mourinho".

Mourinho's former assistant is regarded as one of the brightest coaching prospects in European football after an astonishing first season at the Estadio do Dragao. He guided Porto to the domestic double and Europa League success last season. In addition, he will become the first ever Premier League manager with a double-barrelled surname.

Chelsea had been in negotiations with Guus Hiddink about returning to a role he occupied briefly in 2009. The Dutchman could still return to the club in the sporting director role.

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