Brazilian club Internacional said Friday it has signed Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan, voted the best player at the 2010 World Cup.
Internacional said the 33-year-old Forlan signed a contract until July 2015 and will be officially introduced to fans on Saturday.
Forlan is one of the top foreign players to ever be signed by a Brazilian club. The announcement of his signing with Internacional came on the same day that former Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf arrived in Brazil to play for Botafogo after a successful career with Europe's top teams.
Forlan had been playing with Inter Milan since transferring to the Italian club from Atletico Madrid in 2011. He also previously played for Manchester United and Villarreal, among other clubs.
The striker also played the 2002 World Cup with Uruguay and was key in the nation's Copa America title last year in Argentina, scoring twice in the final against Paraguay. Forlan scored five goals in the South Africa World Cup, leading Uruguay to the semifinals.
Financial details on Forlan's acquisition were not officially disclosed, but local media says he will earn a monthly salary of about $250,000.
He will be the fifth foreign player in Internacional's squad. All others are Argentine midfielders - Andres D'Alessandro, Jesus Datolo, Pablo Guinazu and Mario Bolatti.
Internacional is one of Brazil's most traditional clubs. It won the Copa Libertadores, Latin America's most important club competition, in 2006 and 2010.
''One of the greatest strikers in the history of Uruguay,'' the team said on its website. ''And now he will play for International.''
Botafogo has been saying that Seedorf's signing is the ''biggest ever'' involving a foreign player and a Brazilian club, but Corinthians also made the headlines in 2004 when it signed Carlos Tevez from Boca Juniors. The Argentine, currently with Manchester City, had been sought after by several European clubs at the time.
Forlan became a high-profile acquisition by Inter Milan after his great play at the World Cup, but didn't perform up to expectations in Italy and had been playing sparingly. He scored only two goals in 18 matches with the Italian powerhouse.
Forlan is expected to arrive in Brazil on Saturday and will be introduced to fans before the team's match against Cruzeiro in the Brazilian league the same day. Internacional is currently seventh in the 20-team standings, four points behind leaders Atletico Mineiro and Cruzeiro.
Other Uruguay national team players in Brazil include striker Sebastian Abreu, who just transferred from Botafogo to Figueirense, and Santos right back Jorge Fucile.
Chilean players in Brazil include Palmeiras playmaker Jorge Valdivia, while Argentines are Palmeiras' Hernan Barcos, Cruzeiro's Walter Montillo and Flamengo's Dario Bottinelli.
Some of the top Brazilian players who returned thanks to the country's strong economy in recent years include Ronaldo, Adriano, Robinho and most recently two-time world player of the year Ronaldinho, who is playing for Atletico Mineiro.
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