Danny Welbeck joins Arsenal: £16m striker reveals he had previously dreamt about playing for the Gunners

England international completed his dramatic move on deadline day

James Orr
Wednesday 03 September 2014 08:46 EDT
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Danny Welbeck poses in his new Arsenal shirt
Danny Welbeck poses in his new Arsenal shirt (Getty Images)

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Danny Welbeck has revealed that he previously envisaged played for Arsenal, and joining the Gunners from Manchester United is the "right decision" for his career.

Welbeck signed for Arsenal for £16m on deadline day after spending his whole career at United, where he scored 29 goals in 142 appearances in all competitions.

The England striker says he has always followed Arsenal's progress closely, and feels he will be able to hit the ground running with the club.

"It's great to be a part of this club and it's a team that I've always watched in the Premier League," Welbeck told Arsenal's official website. "I've envisaged myself playing in this team before. For it to finally happen is very exciting.

Welbeck believes Arsenal are Premier League contenders this season, and sees their FA Cup triumph as a catalyst.

"Last year we got the FA Cup and I feel like it's time where we could really push on and try and challenge for the Premier League title."

The 23-year-old's transfer went through after the 11pm transfer deadline on Monday night, after Arsenal were granted an extension to complete the deal. Welbeck admitted that the deal had hit the buffers during the day, and spoke of his relief when ti was finally concluded.

"It went right down to the wire in the end," he said. "It's difficult to say how I felt at the [different] times of each day because the deal was on and then it was off but at the end of the day I'm an Arsenal player and I couldn't be any happier at the moment.

His former team-mate at United, Rio Ferdinand, claimed that Welbeck will "flourish and explode" at Arsenal.

"Welbeck is a top signing for Arsenal," Ferdinand wrote on Twitter. "If he gets that trust to be No 1 striker at AFC he will flourish and explode."

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