Vermaelen signs

"Thomas Vermaelen will be a huge asset to Arsenal.”

- Arsene Wenger, chuffed to bits.

Thomas Vermaelen signed yesterday on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee. He's a left-footed centre back who can also play left back. He's 23 years old, a Belgium international, was captain of Ajax, and should slot into the Arsenal first team from the very first game.

It's always nice to get your first signing quickly. It shows that you know what you're doing, you know who you want, and you've got the funds to go after them. Wenger has admitted in the past that our biggest problems are in the defensive third, and the acquisition of Vermaelen should go a long way in solving those problems.

It's a welcome departure from our transfer policy of the past few years, which was to buy players at the closing stages of the transfer season in order to save a bit a money. Buying the first signing so early means that we can spend the rest of the transfer season looking for that defensive midfielder we need, and that striker that we'll need when Adebayor leaves.

Whatever happens, Vermaelen's PR skills are impeccable. This is what he had to say about signing with us:

“I’m just so happy to be joining Arsenal. This is a great Club with a world class manager, high quality players and a fantastic stadium. Everything is set up for Arsenal to be very successful for years to come and I joined this Club because I know Arsenal will be challenging for trophies.

“I have had a good taste of the Champions League during my time with Ajax and this is something I am looking forward to experiencing again with Arsenal. I’m also looking forward to playing in the English Premier League, which for me, is the best league in the world. Also, I just want to assure the Arsenal fans that I will give everything for this Club and I hope we can enjoy winning some trophies together next season.”

Now all we have to do is figure out some words that rhyme with Vermaelen...