Stoke City chief Tony Scholes has welcomed their deal for Barcelona defender Marc Muniesa.

Muniesa signed for the Potters yesterday in a surprised swoop.

"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," 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."