Giannelli Imbula joins Stoke City

Stoke City have completed the signing of Porto midfielder Giannelli Imbula on a club-record fee.

The French midfielder had struggled to settle to life in Portugal following his move from Marseille over the summer.

Several European clubs had been linked with the player's services during the transfer window, but it is the Potters who have won the chase to sign up the midfield enforcer.

Mark Hughes' side are thought to have paid a fee of around £18.3m beating the previous record held by Xherdan Shaqiri's summer arrival from Inter Milan.

Imbula made just 10 league appearances for Porto before his move to the Britannia Stadium.