Madrid sign Carvalho from Chelsea

Ricardo Carvalho will be reunited with José Mourinho after Real Madrid CF agreed to buy the Portugal defender from Chelsea FC for a reported €8m subject to a medical.

Carvalho, 32, will sign a two-year contract with Madrid, ending a six-season spell with Chelsea which began when he followed Mourinho to London from FC Porto following their UEFA Champions League triumph. His career began at Porto but Carvalho only made his breakthrough after loan spells at Leça FC, Vitória FC and FC Alverca. He blossomed under Mourinho's tutelage, winning three Liga titles plus the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League in 2002/03 and 2003/04.

A move to Chelsea followed and in all he made 210 appearances for the London club, last season helping them to the domestic double, his third triumph in both the Premier League and FA Cup. Capped 67 times by Portugal, Carvalho helped his country to the UEFA EURO 2004 final within nine months of his debut and played at his second FIFA World Cup this summer. Madrid – who have signed forward Ángel Di María plus midfielders Pedro León and Sami Khedira this summer – start their UEFA Champions League campaign in the group stage.