We had reported here that Arsenal were close to securing the signature of Belgian international Thomas Vermaelen.
Now news has come in that Arsenal have officially completed the signing of Vermaelen. The Gunners have not revealed details of the deal, but Ajax Amsterdam’s official site states that the fee for Vermaelen is €12m, out of which €2m is a variable component ( clauses which depend on the player achieving an individual milestone, or the team winning a particular trophy for example)
Vermaelen came to Ajax from their satellite club, Geerminal Beerschot. He made his debut for the Dutch giants at the age of 18 against RSC Volendaam in 2003. Vermaelen has made 143 appearances for Ajax, netting 10 goals for them in his six year long career.
The 23 year old can play both in the left and in the centre, and this gives Arsene Wenger some much needed options in defence. It also ensures that he may not have to put young Kieran Gibbs on the pitch in high profile games if Gael Clichy gets injured.
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