Stoke City have completed the transfer of defender Marc Muniesa from Barcelona on a free transfer.

The talented defender, who was a part of the triumphant Spain squad which won the UEFA Under-21 championships in Israel last month, signed a four-year contract with the club.

"I'm very excited about moving to England to play for Stoke City and will do everything I can to help the club," Muniesa told the club's official website.

"It wasn't a big decision for me to make. I came to England yesterday to meet the people at the club and look around the training ground, which is very impressive.

"My season only finished a fortnight ago when the European Championships ended, but I can't wait to get started for Stoke. I would start tomorrow if the club asked me to."

Muniesa becomes Stoke's second signing of the summer, following the capture of Erik Pieters from PSV Eindhoven.

"Marc has an excellent pedigree, as you would expect from someone who has come through the ranks at a club like Barcelona, and we're delighted to have secured his signature," Stoke chief executive Tony Scholes said.

"We were alerted to his availability and moved quickly to make him a Stoke City player. The whole process was greatly helped by Mark Hughes' links with Barcelona and it's clear to see he's very excited by the challenge of making an impact in the Premier League with us."

Manager Hughes believes Muniesa's technical ability, having honed his skills in the famous La Masia Academy at Barcelona, will come in handy in the English Premier League.

"Marc has been well schooled by Barca," Hughes, a former Barcelona player, said. "Technically, he's a very good player and I've no doubts he will be an excellent addition to our squad.

"I know he's very highly-regarded in Spain and was attracting interest from clubs in La Liga, but he's an ambitious young man and wants to test himself in English football."