David Villa will be unveiled as a Barcelona player on Friday after completing a £34.2m move from Valencia.
The Spain international has signed a four-year deal and is the first summer capture for the Catalan club, with Cesc Fabregas also said to be a target.
Villa, 28, is due in Barcelona on Thursday and is booked for a medical.
The top scorer at Euro 2008 despite missing the final through injury, he had reportedly attracted interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.
The man from Asturias, in the north of Spain, is a regular in his country's first team and will be highly fancied to make a big impact at the World Cup.
His arrival at Barcelona is likely to lead to increased speculation over the futures of strikers Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.