Newcastle sign Argentine Facundo Ferreyra

London: Argentine striker Facundo Ferreyra on Sunday completed a move to Newcastle United after joining foreign stars who refused to play with Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk because of the country`s conflict.

The English Premier League side said they had signed the 23-year-old on a season long loan. "I like the Premier League and when I knew that Newcastle were interested in me, it was a very easy decision to make," Ferreyra said in a Newcastle statement. Ferreyra was one of six foreign players at Donetsk who had refused to return to the country after a friendly game in France in July. The other five were Brazilians, and at least one, Douglas Costa, has also been linked to a move to the English Premier League. Four Argentines playing for Metalist Kharkiv have also refused to go back to their club. The crash of a Malaysian Airlines jet in eastern Ukraine, where government forces are battling separatist rebels, has heightened fears among foreigners in the country, including the football stars. Ferreyra had struggled to get a regular first team place at Donetsk after joining from Argentinian side Velez Sarsfeld in 2013.