Stoke City have completed the signing of Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri from Inter Milan for a club record fee of £12 million.

The 23-year-old has signed a five-year contract at the Britannia Stadium.

The previous club record was the £10 million fee Stoke paid to sign former England striker Peter Crouch from Tottenham Hotspur in 2011.

Stoke finally get their man

Stoke City Chief Executive Tony Scholes said that it is "no secret" that Stoke have been pursuing Shaqiri for "some time" and added that he will be a "fantastic addition" to the squad. 

Stoke tried to sign Shaqiri from Bayern Munich in January, however the player opted to join Inter Milan instead, signing a a four-year deal at the San Siro.

The winger endured a difficult and brief spell at the Italian club, scoring three goals in 20 games, however, he started just eight Serie A matches.

The Potters agreed a £12 million deal with Inter Milan last month, but Stoke withdrew the offer after the player failed to respond to their deadline and were said to be looking at other targets.

There has since been interest from other Premier League clubs with Everton and Newcastle United reportedly looking to sign the Swiss international this summer.

However, Stoke revived the deal last week and Shaqiri watched the Potter's 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday before passing his medical and agreeing personal terms on Monday.

What does Shaqiri bring to Stoke?

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes said that he is "dynamic and explosive" player who will "bring something different to the group." Hughes added that the 23-year-old has a "great deal of potential."

The 5ft 7in winger is nicknamed the "Alpine Messi", not just for his speed and talent but because of his similar stature to Lionel Messi.

The Swiss international is a talented dribbler and has a very good goal ratio for a midfielder, having scored 17 goals in 46 games for his country.

Shaqiri also arrives at Stoke with an impressive trophy haul. He won the Swiss Super League in his three seasons at FC Basel, as well as the Swiss Cup on two occasions. During his three years at Bayern Munich, the winger won two Bundesliga titles, the German Supercup, the DFB-Pokal twice, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Shaqiri, who was part of Bayern Munich's squad that won the Champions League in 2013, is one of five Stoke players to have won the Champions League, joining Bojan, Marko Arnautovic, Ibrahim Afellay and Marc Muniesa.

Their total of five previous winners is the joint-highest in the Premier League, with Chelsea and Manchester United also having five Champions League winners in their squad.

The evolution at the Britannia Stadium continues

Shaqiri is Mark Hughes' ninth summer signing following the additions of Jakob Haugaard, Philipp Wollscheid, Joselu, Marco van Ginkel, Shay Given, Glen JohnsonMoha El Ouriachi and Ibrahim Afellay.

Stoke's latest signing fits with the style of football that Hughes envisages for the Potters, who under Tony Pulis were known for their direct football, and the signing of Shaqiri will help change this perception of Stoke.

Shaqiri could make his debut at White Hart Lane on Saturday when Stoke take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

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About the author
Adam Bailey
Everton editor, who also covers cycling and athletics.