Barcelona have completed the £15m signing of Arsenal's Belgium international defender Thomas Vermaelen on a five-year contract. The 28-year-old passed a medical on Saturday and was presented to fans and media at the Nou Camp on Sunday after finalising the deal.

"Coming to Barcelona is a dream move it wasn't a difficult decision at all, " the centre-back said. Vermaelen joined Arsenal from Ajax for £10m in 2009 and made 150 appearances.

Barcelona's new signing said: "I feel ready to play here. I think I can offer a lot to this club. "There's a lot of competition here but I'm very excited. It's up to me to show what I can do it'll be a challenge for me."