Coventry City are closing in on a deal worth more than £17m for Eintracht Frankfurt defender Aurele Amenda.
The Switzerland centre-back would cost an initial £15.4m, with a further £1.7m in add-ons, and is set to sign a four-year contract with the promoted Premier League club.
Amenda is understood to have been persuaded by a strong pitch from manager Frank Lampard and Coventry’s recruitment staff.
He was part of the Switzerland squad that reached the World Cup quarter-finals, although he did not make an appearance in the tournament.
Amenda would be Coventry’s third signing of the summer following the arrivals of winger Loum Tchaouna from Burnley and midfielder Frank Onyeka, who made his move from Brentford permanent.
The Sky Blues remain keen to sign goalkeeper Carl Rushworth from Brighton but have so far been unable to agree a deal and Chelsea’s Filip Jorgensen is viewed as an alternative.
After renewing Lampard’s contract this summer, Coventry began pre-season with a 3-2 behind-closed-doors friendly defeat by Wimbledon.
They next face Northampton Town and Espanyol as they prepare for their first top-flight campaign in 25 years.
