Portugal midfielder Maniche is 'counting the days' before his dream move to Chelsea is completed.
The 28-year-old is due to link up with manager Jose Mourinho for the third time in his career, after playing under his countryman at Benfica and Porto.
His loan move from Dynamo Moscow to Stamford Bridge should be completed in the coming days, with the Premiership champions also having the right to make the deal permanent in the summer for £5million.
Maniche will help to fill the gap left by Ghanaian Michael Essien's participation in the African Nations Cup, which begins later this month.
He has turned down a host of offers from other clubs in favour of the most to Chelsea.
'I hope to pass the medical and join up with Chelsea in January - I'm counting the days,' declared Maniche.
'I have had offers from other big European teams but, obviously, once Chelsea became interested there was only one team.
'I would be crazy to turn them down, because of the manager and because I have known some of the players there for years.
'Mourinho is the key to me signing - he has been after me for some time. He is my maestro. He knows me from my time at Porto and Benfica.
'My greatest moments in football I owe to him and I hope to repeat this success at Chelsea.
'I have been linked with a move to England in the last few years - now it seems that it is finally going to happen.'
However, Maniche's arrival is likely to be the only movement in or out of Stamford Bridge during the transfer window.
Mourinho rejected any prospect of either left-back Wayne Bridge or German central defender Robert Huth leaving on loan deals, to boost their World Cup chances.
Bridge has already been told by England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson that his selection for the finals depends on him getting regular first-team football between now and the end of the season.
Huth is also battling for a place in the German squad, although coach Jurgen Klinsmann would prefer him to fight for a place at Stamford Bridge instead of going on loan to a Bundesliga club.
And Mourinho replied with an emphatic 'No' when asked if any of his players would be allowed to leave on loan deals during the current window.
