Yossi Benayoun has reportedly agreed to join Chelsea on a 4-year contract, although it is believed no fee has been agreed yet.

Chelsea have reportedly been pursuing the Israeli international for some time and see him as an ideal replacement for Joe Cole, who will leave the club next month after failing to agree terms on an extension to his deal at Stamford Bridge.

Benayoun has been a moderate success at Liverpool since joining for £5m in July 2007 but is believed to have fallen out with the former manager Rafael Benítez during the last campaign and has been looking to leave Anfield ever since.

According to the Israeli Sport 5 website, the 30-year-old has finalised personal terms with the Premier League champions, but the move is far from completed. Chelsea, it is believed, do not want to spend more than £4m on the player while Liverpool want closer to £10m.

Liverpool are currently without a manager following the departure of Benítez earlier this month and it is also possible that his replacement, widely expected to be Roy Hodgson, could demand that Benayoun remains at the club. It is likely, though, that a compromise will be reached shortly that will see the former West Ham player return to London.