Ibrahim Afellay set to join Barcelona in January

Barcelona have agreed a €3m fee with PSV Eindhoven to sign Ibrahim Afellay, the highly-rated Holland midfielder, in January.

Afellay, who is widely recognised as one of brightest prospects in Dutch football, was a member of Bert van Marwijk’s 23-man squad which reached the World Cup final in South Africa.

“Barcelona are fantastic, a great club and a great team,” said Afellay, who can play as a centre forward or on either wing. “No player would say no to Barcelona.

“I’ve never been to the Nou Camp, neither as a fan or as a player and it’s a dream for me to play there, I’m very eager to make my debut at the Nou Camp.

He added: “I really enjoy watching Barca on TV. Everybody does because they play very attractive football and are very nice to watch.”

Afellay, who will become the 19th Dutch international to play for Barcelona, has declared he is prepared to fight for a starting spot amongst the Catalan club’s superstars.

“The truth is that I don’t mind where I play, if it’s in the centre of the pitch, in attack or on the wing. I will play where the coach needs me,” he added.