Manchester United are close to completing a deal to sign £30m-rated Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao.
The Old Trafford club failed in an attempt to buy midfielder Herrera, 24, on transfer deadline day last summer.
New United boss Louis van Gaal has revived the transfer, which could be completed as early as Tuesday.
Herrera, part of Spain's Olympic squad at London 2012, would become Van Gaal's first signing since he replaced David Moyes as manager.
His arrival will address long-standing concerns about the strength of United's midfield, which date back to Paul Scholes's initial retirement in 2011.
Until the arrival of Marouane Fellaini from Everton last summer, the club had not signed a central midfield player for six years.
Fellaini's difficulty in adapting to life at Old Trafford - he failed to score a single goal last season - and Ryan Giggs's retirement in order to become assistant to Van Gaal highlighted the need to strengthen.
It is not anticipated United will encounter any of the struggles that scuppered their previous attempt to sign the player, which included three imposters turning up at Spanish League headquarters supposedly to push through the transfer without the knowledge of either club.
United are set to pay about £30m for Herrera, whose transfer fee was due to rise on 30 June under the terms of his contract.
With Antonio Valencia and Patrice Evra both signing contract extensions, Van Gaal is already starting to put his mark on the squad even though he is currently manager of the Netherlands who are through to the last 16 of the World Cup.
As yet there has been no fresh bid for Southampton defender Luke Shaw, who was the subject of a big-money offer from United prior to England's dismal World Cup campaign.
It appears there will be a left-back opportunity within the squad though as a fee has been agreed between United and Dynamo Moscow for Alexander Buttner, with some minor contractual issues to be sorted out.
Van Gaal's side open their Premier League campaign against Swansea on 16 August.
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