Danny Welbeck signs for Arsenal as Manchester United sell striker for £16m

Arsenal have completed a £16m transfer for England international Welbeck

The Manchester United striker arrives as a replacement for Olivier Giroud who has been sidelined with a broken foot until the new year

Welbeck was training at Arsenal's London Colney training base on Monday with the England team ahead of the international against Norway

He has signed a five-year contract with the Gunners

Tottenham were hoping to land him but Arsene Wenger made a late move

The Gunners had earlier missed out on Monaco striker Radamel Falca 

Arsene Wenger has made a dramatic move to solve his lack of goal power by agreeing a £16million deal to sign England striker Danny Welbeck.

The Arsenal manager, in Italy to keep a promise to play in a fund raising football match, still made sure that charity began at home as he helped beat off a bid from Spurs to land the Manchester United star.

Welbeck, told he could leave Old Trafford after failing to impress Louis van Gaal since the Dutchman’s arrival this summer, was originally offered on a season long loan deal for a bargain £3m.

But the 23-year-old was determined to force a permanent move to give himself a fresh start and that helped Arsenal force down United’s original £18m asking price before settling a five-year contract for the player. 

Wenger had several times claimed he wasn’t in the market for a new striker, despite losing last season’s top scorer Olivier Giroud until after Christmas through injury.

But that emerged as a smokescreen as he made failed overtures for first Loic Remy then Radamel Falcao, before turning his attention to Welbeck.

And with Tottenham put off by the size of the numbers involved, Arsenal officials worked late into the night to complete the formalities.

Wenger has long been an admirer of Welbeck and has considered a move for him in the past, but he had always viewed the United man as a player who is best suited to playing on the flanks, posing a goal threat from wide.

Sportsmail can reveal that Wenger originally had Welbeck earmarked as a possible replacement for Lukas Podolski, who was set to leave Arsenal earlier this summer. But with Arsenal so short of striking options following Giroud’s serious ankle injury, he will be asked to play in a central role for the Gunners.

Welbeck, who has 26 caps for England at the age of 23, has eight international goals. He has scored 20 league goals in 90 appearances for United since 2008.