Arsenal complete Diaby swoop

Arsenal have confirmed the signing of French Under-19 internatonal Vasiriki Abou Diaby for an undisclosed fee.

The 19-year-old central midfielder came through the youth ranks at Auxerre and captained the French side which won the Under-19 European Championship last summer, beating England 3-1 in the final in Belfast.

Manager Arsene Wenger feels Diaby can add an extra dimension to the Gunners squad.

“He is a strong midfielder and has shown huge potential during his time at Auxerre. He will be a tremendous addition to our squad.”

The fee is believed to be in the region of £2m, and Auxerre revealed rejected advances from Chelsea to sign a four-year deal with the Gunners.

Auxerre vice-president Gerard Bourgoin said Diaby met fficials from both clubs in London on Wednesday and said: “The choice belonged to Diaby, but Arsene Wenger was better than Jose Mourinho, that’s all.”

Bourgoin added: “The player has made the choice for Arsenal. And Auxerre, who do not like ruining the careers of our players, have reached an agreement with the club.”

Diaby said: “I am so happy to have signed for Arsenal.

“The club has a great history and a squad which is full of high-quality players.

“This is a very exciting time for me and I am looking forward to a successful career here.”