Birmingham City have signed Fabrice Muamba, the teenage midfielder, on a permanent basis from Arsenal.

The 19-year-old had been on a season-long loan at St Andrews and has now put pen to paper on a three-year deal after an undisclosed fee was agreed between the two clubs.

"This is a great signing for us and I’m absolutely delighted that Fabrice has agreed to join us," Steve Bruce, the Birmingham manager, told the club's official website.

“When he first arrived here I said he would be a big, big player for us and a crowd favourite, and as the season went on that was exactly what he proved to be.

“I thought his performances towards the end of the season and the way he drove the team on was unbelievable for a young kid - he had no fear. He goes box to box all day, wins the ball for you all day long and his passing has improved immensely since the start of the season.

“He has got the attitude and the athleticism to play in the Premiership and I think he will only get better.

Muamba, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo but has represented England up to under-19 level, made 41 appearances for the Midlanders as they returned to the Premiership at the first attempt. He was one of three Arsenal players who joined the club on loan back in August, with Sebastian Larsson also agreeing permanent terms with City while striker Nicklas Bendtner has gone back to north London.

Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, wished Muamba well at St Andrews, admitting the player may have found it tough to break into the Gunners first team next season.

“He is a highly-rated player but he has a lot of competition and he is in a position that if he comes back straight away it will be very hard for him to play,” Wenger told the official Arsenal website.