Madrid: Barcelona said on Friday they will make an announcement "within hours" on the expected signing of Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal.
"We hope to announce it within hours," a spokesman for Barcelona said.
"We have to put the finishing touches to a few details and when they are finished we will announce the signing."
Several British and Spanish newspaper reports on Thursday said Arsenal had agreed a transfer deal with Barcelona that would see Fabregas return to his boyhood club.
AS newspaper said Fabregas would arrive in Barcelona within days, possibly later Friday.
Barcelona defenders Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique sent messages on their Twitter accounts welcoming Cesc before any official announcement.
"Welcome home, happy to have you here @cesc4official," Puyol tweeted, addressing his message to Cesc's Twitter account. "@cesc4official, we have got him," tweeted Pique.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, August 12, 2011, 20:27