Newcastle complete Lejeune signing

Newcastle United have completed the £8.7m signing of French defender Florian Lejeune from Eibar on a five-year deal.

The former France Under-20 defender becomes Rafa Benitez's second signing of the summer, after Ghanaian winger Christian Atsu’s loan move from Chelsea was made permanent last month.

The 26-year-old had spells in his homeland with Istres and Stade Brestois, and has also played for Villarreal in Spain.

The centre-half joined Manchester City in 2015, but was loaned back to his former club Girona without playing a game for the Premier League giants .

"I'm very happy to have signed. Newcastle United is a big club, and I'm very happy to be here," said Lejeune.

"When you have a manager like Rafa Benitez who wants you, you are very happy to come. Since I've been in touch with the manager, it was an easy decision for me to come here."

Benitez, who is anxious to bring in new faces following Newcastle's promotion to the Premier League, welcomed the signing of a player who first came to his notice in 2011.

"I would like to welcome Florian to Newcastle United," he said. "He is a player that has done very well this year in Spain. I have known about him for a while, since he began playing for Villarreal.

"He has progressed a lot as a player in the last few years and I know he will give us something different at the back -- he is good with both feet, he's big and he's good in the air also.

"If he settles well into English football then I am sure he will be a success and will give us a lot of competition in this area."

Image: Getty Images/ Ander Gillenea

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