Football United

The Spanish champions FC Barcelona have continued their long tradition of signing Dutch players by recruiting the PSV Eindhoven and Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel on a free transfer.

Three-year deal
The 28-year-old had long been linked with a move to the Catalan club following another excellent campaign in the PSV engine room and today ended the speculation by penning a three-year contract which will come into effect on 1 July. Van Bommel scored 14 goals, a career high, in 30 games as Guus Hiddink's side reclaimed the Eredivisie title and was ever-present in the run to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, where PSV were eliminated on away goals by AC Milan.

Cup final
Van Bommel spent seven years at SC Fortuna Sittard prior to his move to PSV in 1999. He won the Eredivisie in his first season and has since claimed three more in addition to the 2001 Dutch Footballer of the Year award and three Dutch Cups. He will hope to lift the trophy for a fourth time when PSV tackle Willem II on 29 May in what will be his final game in red and white.

Familiar path
The midfielder will arrive at Camp Nou in mid-June following the Netherlands' FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Romania and Finland. Van Bommel becomes the sixth PSV player to leave for Barcelona, following in the footsteps of such talents as Ronald Koeman, Romario, Ronaldo, Phillip Cocu and Boudewijn Zenden.

Source: Uefa.com