Al Dhafra new boy David Barral has declared he is to fulfil a long-held dream by making the switch to the Arabian Gulf League from Levante.

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Barral, 32, arrived in Abu Dhabi this weekend to undergo a medical before signing a one-year deal.

The Real Madrid youth product is expected to play behind star centre forward Makhete Diop as the Western Knights aim to drastically improve on last term’s low return of 31 goals in 26 top-flight games.

“Officially, I am a player of Al Dhafra,” the Spaniard tweeted on Sunday night. “A dream of playing in the UAE is fulfilled – thank you very much for everything.”

Hard-working Barral scored 18 goals in 67 La Liga appearances since he joined Les Granotes from Orduspor in 2013. He is best known for a six-year spell at Sporting Gijon which preceded his move to Turkey with 48 strikes in 201 matches.

Barral completes Dhafra’s four-player foreign quota, Iraq centre-back Ahmad Ibrahim joining once his deal expired at relegated Ajman and Argentine midfielder Jorge Luna being bought from Chile’s Santiago Wanderers.

The club’s most impressive business has been to persuade coveted striker Diop to ink a three-year contract extension until 2018, spurning interest from Al Nasr and Bani Yas as well as clubs in Saudi Arabia.

The Western Knights have also been active domestically, bringing in Bani Yas forward Ahmed Ali, Al Jazira midfielder Hamad Al Hammadi and Nasr attacker Abdulla Qasim.

Meanwhile, the Pro League Committee has announced the 2014/15 Arabian Gulf League Awards ceremony is to be held next Sunday at the St Regis Hotel in Abu Dhabi.