Granit Xhaka signs for Arsenal in £35m deal as Arsene Wenger admits club have been tracking Swiss midfielder 'for a long time'

• Arsenal have confirmed the £35million signing of midfielder Granit Xhaka
• Xhaka arrives from Borussia Monchengladbach, signing five-year contract
• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger reveals Swiss star was a long-term target
• Wenger hailed his new signing's experience in the Champions League
• Xhaka is Arsenal's first outfield summer signing since Danny Welbeck 

Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Switzerland international Granit Xhaka after securing the final details of a £35million deal to bring in the midfielder from Borussia Monchengladbach.

Xhaka has put pen to paper on a five-year contract worth £110,000-per-week and has passed a medical ahead of his move going through when the transfer window opens next week.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said: 'Granit Xhaka is an exciting young player, already with good Champions League and Bundesliga experience. 

Arsenal have completed the £35million signing of Granit Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach

Xhaka has signed a five-year contract worth £110,000-per-week after passing a medical with the Gunners

Xhaka posed for official photos last week before Arsenal signed off the final details on the midfielder's move

Xhaka is set to play for Switzerland at Euro 2016 where they face France, Romania and Albania

Xhaka spent last week getting used to the London Colney surroundings where he will be based next season

GRANIT XHAKA - CAREER STATS 

Basle (2010-12)

Appearances: 67 Goals: 3

Borrusia Monchengladbach (2012-16)

Appearance: 134 Goals: 9

Switzerland (2011-16)

Appearances: 41 Goals: 6

'We have been watching him for a long time now and he is a player who will add quality to our squad. We wish Granit a good Euro 2016 with Switzerland and look forward to welcoming him to Arsenal ahead of next season.'

Xhaka, 23, touched down in London on Thursday and completed his medical examinations before posing for photographs in the Arsenal's new home kit at their London Colney base.

The Gunners have now confirmed the £35m deal after Sportsmail reported it was close to completion last week. Arsenal chiefs wanted to get the move over the line before this summer's European Championship.

The midfielder's move to subject to the completion of regulatory processes but those are expected to be a formality.

The £35m deal for Xhaka makes him Arsenal's second most expensive signing behind the £42.5m capture of Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid in 2013. 

The Swiss international is one of Europe's most talented prospects and had previously admitted a move to the Premier League would be a dream.

Xhaka is Arsenal's first signing of the summer and will join up with his new team-mates after Euro 2016

The new Arsenal midfielder signs a shirt during his photoshoot at their London Colney headquarters

Xhaka is Arsenal's first outfield summer signing since 2014 after a quiet off-season last time around

'The Premier League is not my goal, but a childhood dream. It is a dream that could be fulfilled,' Xhaka previously said.

'As of now, I am still a Gladbach player, that might change in the next weeks, or it might not.'

He is Arsenal's first outfield summer signing since the purchase of Danny Welbeck from Manchester United in 2014. Wenger did to add to his squad last year expect for goalkeeper Petr Cech's arrival.

Xhaka gets to grips with Manchester City winger Jesus Navas during a Champions League meeting last year

The defensive-minded midfielder has experience of playing against top sides like Bayern Munich in Germany

The Gunners have been expanding their scouting operation in Germany in recent months and Xhaka is a product of their work.

Mathieu Flamini, Tomas Rosicky and Mikel Arteta are all leaving the Emirates Stadium, leaving Wenger in need of midfield reinforcements.

Earlier this week, official figures released by the Premier League showed that Arsenal pocketed almost £101million - or £100,952,257 to be precise - from the league's central funds this season.

SO, WHO IS £35MILLION ARSENAL SIGNING GRANIT XHAKA? 

Granit Xhaka can play as a defensive midfielder or deep lying playmaker and has been described as a young Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The 23-year-old had been mooted as a potential replacement for Xabi Alonso at Bayern Munich but Arsenal's interest and his desire to play in the Premier League will see him head to north London instead.

Born in Basle, he came up through the Swiss champions' academy system before graduating to the first team, featuring in the Champions League and helping the club secure a league-and-cup double before leaving for Borussia Monchengladbach.

He signed, as a 19-year-old, for around £6.5million and his box-to-box physical style and passing impressive range drew admirers in the Bundesliga before Arsenal made their move.

Switzerland manager Vladimir Petkovic said of Xhaka: 'Granit has the ambition and the confidence to make it all the way to the top at international level.

'From a mental point of view he is ready to guide a team in the right direction. You can feel his respect for the older leaders in the team. I take that as a sign for his social intelligence.

'He doesn't look for conflicts, he looks for responsibility.'