Barcelona have sealed the £15m signing of Arsenal’s Belgium international defender Thomas Vermaelen on a five-year deal. The 28-year-old defender passed a medical exam on Saturday and was presented to fans and media at the Nou Camp Stadium on Sunday. “Coming to Barcelona is a dream move – it wasn’t a difficult decision at all,” said Vermaelen.

Vermaelen joined Arsenal from Ajax for £10m in 2009 and made 150 appearances for the Gunners, also becoming the club captain. He 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.” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: “At the moment it is a possibility that someone comes in to replace Thomas Vermaelen. I can’t tell you who!”

Vermaelen’s progress has been hindered by a string of injuries last season, he made only 21 appearances for the Gunners. He added: “I want to put the injuries I’ve had behind me and look to the future. My aim is to play in lots of games and help the team. I am keen to get started and I know the demands here are really testing.” Vermaelen is Barcelona’s second new entry in defence this summer after Valencia’s Jeremy Mathieu.

Barcelona are 11/10 at Bet365 to win the Primera Liga title this season.