SAO PAULO - BRAZILIAN star Ronaldo was set to put pen to paper on a deal to join Brazilian giants Corinthians, the club announced here on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old striker has been out of action since picking up another career-threatening knee injury in February while playing for former club AC Milan.

Ronaldo has reportedly been working hard for the past few months in a bid to regain fitness after putting on the kilos in the wake of his left knee injury.

Corinthians said the former two-time European footballer of the year and three-time FIFA player of the year was 'only hours from signing a deal.'

'The management of Corinthians is currently in negotiations to sign the striker Ronaldo Nazario,' said a media spokesman for the club, adding that the finer details of the contract were being finalised.

'Both parties are only hours away from reaching agreement.'

Ronaldo, who won the World Cup Brazil in 1994 and 2002, suffered the serious knee injury in February only months before his contract with AC Milan came to an end.

He has played since - in a match organised by the United Nations in Morocco in mid-November - but was only on the pitch 22 minutes.

Corinthians are one of Brazil's biggest clubs and have in the past included top players such as Deco, now of Chelsea, Manchester United's Carlos Tevez and current Brazil keeper Dida of AC Milan. -- AFP