Newcastle United have confirmed the signing of France right-back Mathieu Debuchy from Lille for an undisclosed fee.
Debuchy, 27, had spent the entirety of his professional career with Lille, winning the Ligue 1 title in 2011, but it became clear in the summer that he was eager to move to Newcastle.
With the move finally completed, Debuchy, who has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract, has told the official Newcastle website he is relishing the chance to play in the Premier League.
“It is great to become a Newcastle United player,” he said. “After many great years at Lille I felt I was ready for a new challenge, and cannot wait to play for such a big club in the best league in the world.
"I hope I can bring something fresh to the team and help us get up to the highest possible position in the Premier League this season. I will give everything for this club."
Debuchy, who is close friends with midfielder Yohan Cabaye, played over 230 times for Lille during his time with the Ligue 1 side. He has 12 caps for France.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said he was "absolutely delighted" to have finally completed the signing.
"It's no secret we've been trailing him for some time now and to have reached this point fills me with great excitement and anticipation in respect of what he will be able to offer the team," he said. "At the same time it's a huge relief to actually have him with us now.
"He is an established top international player and it is a real coup for this club that we now have him at St. James' Park. Mathieu will add real quality to our team, in terms of his ability, character and experience and I am sure he will quickly become a firm favourite among our fans too."
