STOKE, England - Stoke has completed the signing of Swiss international midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri from Inter Milan for a club-record fee of 12 million pounds ($18.68 million).

The Premier League club says Tuesday that the 23-year-old midfielder has signed a five-year deal.

The fee eclipses the 10 million pounds ($15.59 million) which the club paid for striker Peter Crouch in 2011.

Shaqiri is the ninth player to join Stoke during the transfer window, with former Barcelona midfielder Ibrahim Afellay among the higher profile names.

Shaqiri was spotted at The Britannia Stadium on Sunday during the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in its opening match of the season.