Xherdan Shaqiri to Stoke City: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More

Stoke City have confirmed the signing of Inter Milan midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, with the club penning a £12 million deal for the Swiss international.

On his move to Serie A at the beginning of 2015, Shaqiri signed a four-and-a-half-year deal. However, he is clearly now seen as surplus to requirements as manager Roberto Mancini looks to rebuild his squad.

The 23-year-old winger left Bayern in search of regular first-team football and he scored once and provided two assists in 15 appearances—seven as a substitute—for Inter in the second half of the 2014-15 term, according to WhoScored.com.

The signing of Shaqiri is something of a coup for Stoke, with manager Mark Hughes having admitted in July that the move was dead in the water, via Pete Smith in the Stoke Sentinel.

He joins the likes of Ibrahim Afellay and Bojan Krkic as exciting recent arrivals at the Britannia Stadium, as Hughes continues to move Stoke away from their traditional style, which was seen by many as somewhat one-dimensional.

Indeed, they now have a squad stocked full of Champions League winners, as noted by Sky Sports News HQ:

Shaqiri will now be given the opportunity to prove himself as the attacking menace he has often threatened to become.

It looks to be a terrific signing for the Potters, as Shaqiri is a hardworking player and is highly effective when on the ball and running at defences.