Barcelona agreed to sign striker David Villa from Valencia on Wednesday in a transfer worth 40 million euros ($49 million).
Villa will undergo a medical scan Friday before signing a four-year contract with an option for a fifth, the Spanish champions said on their website.
The 28-year-old Villa scored 21 league goals for third-place Valencia last season and is Spain's second all-time leading scorer. The Asturias native scored 28 goals in 45 games overall last season.
"It's a good sale and a necessary sale because of the economic situation of the club," Valencia president Manuel Llorente said. "It was a painful decision to make but it had to be made."
Villa had been linked with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United or Chelsea since last year.
"There were important offers, most of all from an English team - and I'm not referring to Chelsea," Llorente said. "But Barca's was the best and especially for the player, who wanted to stay in Spain."
Valencia turned down previous offers for Villa so it could field the explosive striker to assure it clinched a Champions League place this year for next season. Llorente said the club had losses of ?78 million ($96 million) last season.
Barcelona sporting director Txiki Begiristain said Villa would complement Barcelona's quick-passing possession game perfectly.
"Like Lionel (Messi) he's a combination of a center forward or also a right winger who can float to the middle," Begiristain said. "His profile is that of a player who is skillful at crossfield movement and (he) maneuvers very well in open space since he has great depth."
Villa has scored 206 goals in 393 appearances since his debut for Sporting Gijon in 2003, which included two seasons at Zaragoza before arriving at Valencia in 2005.
Villa was the leading scorer at the 2008 European Championship, helping Spain win the title. He has scored 36 goals in 55 games for Spain and is closing in on Raul Gonzalez's leading total off 44 in 102 appearances.
"He's a great football player who can make a difference," Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez said. "A winner."
Villa's arrival will put Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thierry Henry's futures under scrutiny following sub-par seasons by both strikers.
Begiristain said Ibrahimovic was not for sale but, like with Henry, left the door open for an exit.
"Like always, (Ibrahimovic) needs to be happy. He needs to feel comfortable in the team and he needs to decide," Begiristain said of the Sweden striker, who scored 21 goals in all competitions.
Henry was mostly relegated to the substitutes bench over the second half of the season and finished with only four goals. The France striker has been linked with a move to Major League Soccer despite having one year left on his deal with Barcelona.
"It's mostly up to him if he wants to be here or to go somewhere far away where he can be a leader again," Begiristain said.
