MADRID (AFP) - Belarussian midfielder Alexander Hleb arrived in Barcelona on Wednesday for a medical checkup ahead of his expected transfer from Arsenal, the club said.
"If he passes the medical tests, Alexander Hleb will be presented at the Nou Camp later today," the club said on its website.
"I love this club," Hleb told reporters. "I spoke with (coach Josep) Guardiola and it's good to know that he wants me. I will give my best to this team and I want to win everything with Barca."
The Belarussian, who joined Arsenal from VfB Stuttgart in 2005, scored only 10 goals in his three seasons at the London side.
Hleb, who had also been linked with a move to Italian champions Inter Milan, said during an interview in Russia last week that he had told Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger that he did not like living in London and wanted to leave the club.
The 27-year-old would be Barca's fifth signing for the 2008-2009 season.
The club has already signed Mali's midfielder Seydou Keita from Seville and three defenders: Spaniard Gerard Pique from Manchester United, Uruguayan Martin Caceres from Villarreal and Brazilian Daniel Alves from Seville.
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being a blaugrana supporter since i was 4 years of age...am absolutely delighted to see such a talented and creative player moving to elbarca...watching him dominating the midfield against man u in old traford last season was just sensational (although arsenal was beaten harshly by a free kick!) i think that arsenal is one of the best clubs around and their quality of football is simply breathetaking...i hope they will keep doing that without hleb and flamini but seriously, the professor (wenger) needs to amend his policy and start spending more in the transfer market if he wants to outmuscle great teams like catalunya, man u, chelsea, Real suckers CF (oupse) etc. if we can secure the services of adebayour (even if it means selling eto'o to the gunners) then we can say that barcelona's transfer deals have been totally outstanding...i mean we have a much younger defensive side (puyol, millito, alves, caceres, pique, abidal), a strong and dynamic defensive midfield (yaya and keita), a creative advanced midfied (xavi, iniesta and hleb) and an amazing attacking prowess (titi, bojan and adebayour) without 4getting the soul of the team...u know whom am talking about...el phenomeno MESSIDONNA...visca el barca and good luck to arsenal the most entertaining team along with barcelona
bye bye Hleb. Maybe you should have learned to shoot the ball more often rather than trying to just walk it into the net
Oh dear he is going to Barcelona to sit on the bench.
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