Newcastle United have officially confirmed the signing of Italian fullback Davide Santon from Inter Milan, signing the 20-year-old to a five year deal. Santon is highly regarded as a right back prospect, but he's also known for his versatility, and manager Alan Pardew has implied that he'll be fielded mostly as a left back in a Newcastle side hit by the departure of Jose Enrique to Liverpool:
We are delighted to bring to Davide to Newcastle. He is a quality left-back and an established international who also gives us flexibility in defence. Davide is a young lad and a great signing for us and I am sure he will adapt to the Premier League very quickly.
Santon has every chance of succeeding in England, and if he fulfills his potential he may not be at Newcastle for very long. For the sorts of figures that were being bandied around for the fullback, however - 5M according to most reports - the Magpies won't mind if he moves on one bit. There's a tidy profit in it for them along with the services of a very good player.
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