MADRID - Barcelona confirmed that Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero will join the club on 1 July when his contract with the Premier League champions expires.
Argentina international Aguero joined City from Spanish side Atletico Madrid in 2011 and went on to become the club's all-time leading goalscorer, netting 260 times as he helped them to claim five Premier League titles.
"Barcelona are the best team in the world," Aguero, who celebrates his 33rd birthday on Wednesday, told a news conference. "And we all know it.
"It was a good decision to join and help the team achieve things. It's another step and I'm very happy. I hope I can contribute a lot to the club.
"The first thing is to try and play and help the team as
as I can. We are a team, and I will try my best. Hopefully we can get to the end of the season and be in contention for the important trophies."
Barca said the Argentine will sign a two-year deal, with a 100 million euro ($122.04 million) buy-out clause.
Aguero is expected to be the first of a number of arrivals at Camp Nou this summer as new president Joan Laporta looks to revamp a squad that could only finish third in La Liga.
Aguero's City team mate Eric Garcia has been heavily linked as a transfer target by local media, as have Dutch duo Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum.
(Reporting by Joseph Walker; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Christian Radnedge and Pritha Sarkar)
-reuters
