Per Mertesacker admits he is nervous about joining Arsenal after saying farewell to family and friends in Bremen today.
The 26-year-old will arrive in London tomorrow following his £9million transfer from Werder Bremen.
He has been on international duty since the deal went through on deadline day and only glimpsed his new surroundings when he jetted in for a medical last week.
The 76-cap central defender said: "It is exciting. It is a new phase in my life and I am really looking forward to it but I also feel nervous.
"It is like before the first day at school. Now I have a new challenge in a new country, a new style of play and a new language and I am ready for it."
Mertesacker returned to national team duty in Germany's 2-2 draw with Poland last night after being left out of the 6-2 win over Austria on Friday.
"It was great to be part of the team again," he said. "It is going to be an open race for places - we have a lot of options for next year [at Euro 2012] in the centre of the defence. There are four or five top players there."
Mertesacker's new team-mates include Arsenal's other deadline signings, Mikel Arteta, Chu Young Park, Yossi Benayoun and Andre Santos.
Arteta said: "I can't wait to play at the Emirates, I think it's an unbelievable stadium. I'm so excited."
