Newcastle sign Italian international Santon

London: Newcastle signed defender Davide Santon from Inter Milan on Tuesday as the north-east side found a replacement for Jose Enrique following the left-back`s departure for Premier League rivals Liverpool.

The 20-year-old Italian international signed a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee, reported to be around £5million, after flying into Tyneside for a medical earlier on Tuesday. "We are delighted to bring Davide to Newcastle," said Magpies manager Alan Pardew. "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, who made 40 appearances for Inter, said: "I am really pleased to sign for Newcastle. The chance to play in the Premier League and in front of 50,000 fans at St. James` Park was too good to turn down. "This is an ambitious club who want to move forward and I want to help them achieve that," the seven-times capped Italian added. Bureau Report