Arsenal received international clearance for the 20-year-old winger shortly after unveiling their new forward here on Friday, as well as confirmation that he would not have to serve an outstanding disciplinary ban he earned at former club Sevilla.

Reyes revealed that he had decided to join Arsenal because he was convinced they could help him to win some of the game's major prizes while playing football with the kind of flamboyance that had made him the darling of his hometown crowd.

"My belief is that Arsenal are a club that can go on to win honours and I expect that by the end of the season that will have been proved right and I will have an honour to my name," Reyes said after being presented with the number nine shirt that Francis Jeffers recently vacated to go on loan to Everton.

Courted by the likes of Milan's Internazionale, Reyes said he had opted for Arsenal because of the "speed and precision" of their game -- qualities that Gunners boss Arsene Wenger believes his latest acquisition will accentuate.

"First, we want to win of course and if possible we want to win with style and I think he can add to that," Wenger said.

"Most of our players can provide and score goals. Thierry can do that, Pires can do that, Bergkamp can do that and Reyes can do that. That is what I wanted -- to be faithful to our philosophy of how to play the game."

While there are few dissenters to the view that Reyes is one of the most exciting prospects in European football, there is the inevitable question mark about the ability of a young man who seems even younger than his 20 years to make a smooth switch from the balmy climes of Andalucia to mid-winter in the British capital.

"Obviously it is a big change but I don't think it will be a problem. I have told my family to bring coats with them when they come over," Reyes joked.

Reyes will be insulated against a hostile environment however by the presence in London of his parents, brother and girlfriend, all of whom are moving with him to England and Wenger has no doubts about his ability to find his place on the pitch and in the dressing room.

"When players are on the same wavelength on the football pitch, the ball is the best communication you can have."

Reyes' adaptation to life will be helped by the presence at Arsenal of a sizeable Spanish-speaking community. Cameroon fullback Lauren is a former team-mate at Sevilla while Robert Pires, the Brazilians Edu and Gilberto Silva and Philippe Sendoros will all be able to converse with him in his native tongue.

Reyes has made his name as a left-sided forward but Wenger said he saw him as a striker first and foremost.

"We think he'll develop as a central striker but he's a creative, technical player and can play as well on the flanks. It is very interesting for us sometimes to have different options available."

While Reyes will provide Arsenal with some badly needed insurance against the possibility of Thierry Henry getting injured, Wenger dismissed the suggestion that his latest purchase would help to ease the pressure on his star striker.

"You can't take the pressure off Thierry because Thierry has put himself up to a level where people will always be very demanding," Wenger said.

"He cannot get rid of that any more and I think that is a pressure you need at some stage. Thierry is 26 and he is at the level where people want to see him every week and if you add a young player like that it doesn't change it."