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 Barcelona have now finalised the deal that ties Vermaelen to the club until the end of the 2018-19 season.
Vermaelen joined Arsenal from Ajax for £10m in 2009 and made 150 appearances.
“Thomas Vermaelen is now officially an FC Barcelona player,” a statement read.
“It is an agreement that binds him with the club for the next five seasons.”
Vermaelen, who was to be officially presented at a news conference later on Sunday, had been a target for Manchester United but they ended their interest after refusing Arsenal’s demand to receive a player as part of the deal.
Vermaelen was troubled by a series of injuries and lost his place at centre-back last season as Gunners manager Arsene Wenger favoured Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny.
His form and fitness meant he made only 21 appearances in all competitions last term and Wenger admitted this week that the player needed to move on.
Vermaelen becomes Barca’s second centre-back signing this summer after Valencia’s Jeremy Mathieu, their first recruit in that position since 2009.
Source: BBC