Vermaelen confident he can handle Barcelona pressures

Thomas Vermaelen is confident he can handle the pressures associated with playing for Barcelona after agreeing a five-year contract.

Vermaelen’s transfer from Arsenal was confirmed on Saturday and the Belgium international defender believes his experiences at the Emirates Stadium will stand him in good stead for life at Barca.

After five years in the Premier League the 28-year-old knows he will need to adapt his game but is excited about the challenge ahead of him with the Catalan giants.

“The pressure is like always,” he told Barca’s official website. “I played for Arsenal and it’s no different to this club, you need to win every single game and I understand there will always be pressure to deliver a good performance.

“I feel very happy, I am very excited to play for this beautiful club.

“It’s one of the best in the world, it’s a dream for a lot people to play for this club and I can play for this club for the next five seasons, so I’m very happy with that.”

Vermaelen could make his debut in Monday’s friendly against Leon but is more likely to feature in their opening game of the Liga season against Elche.

The former Ajax man is the sixth new arrival at the Camp Nou ahead of the new season with Jeremy Mathieu also joining the club as they look to strengthen their defensive options.