Yanga-Mbiwa and Gouffran to join Newcastle
Reuters - Tuesday 22 January 2013, 15:15
Newcastle United's French shopping spree continued on Tuesday when they
signed Montpellier defender Mapou Yanga Mbiwa while Girondins Bordeaux
forward Yoan Gouffran said he would join the Premier League club on
Wednesday.
Struggling
Newcastle confirmed that France international Yanga Mbiwa had signed
from the French champions on a five-and-a-half-year deal after he completed a
medical.
Later on Tuesday,
the 26-year-old Gouffran, who has scored eight Ligue 1 goals this
season, wrote on his Twitter feed: "Tomorrow I will be a Newcastle
player and I am proud.
"Thanks
to all who supported me, thanks to the officials and staff members who
helped me grow, I needed a new challenge I hope you will understand," he
added.
Yanga Mbiwa, who has
three caps, is regarded as one of the top centre-backs in France. He
stressed that many leading French internationals had also made Newcastle
their home.
"It was a
difficult decision [to leave Montpellier]; it was the club that trained
me, the club where I made my debut, where I got into the first team and
where we won the championship," the 23-year-old said on Newcastle's
website.
"So
it was difficult to leave, but Newcastle held out their hand to me,
they welcomed me. One day I had to leave and it has always been a dream
to come and play in England."
The
north-east side have already drafted in Lille and France right-back
Mathieu Debuchy in the current transfer window and Nancy full-back
Massadio Haidara is poised to join the club's French contingent which
includes midfielder Yohan Cabaye.
"Those
players... are an integral part of the new French team that is coming
through now. They're the main players who are chosen first to play for
France, basically," said Yanga Mbiwa.
"So
I think it is important for me to continue to be able to play with
these players so they can help me to make progress in my own game - and
yes, why not to continue playing for France, which is also one of my own
targets and objectives."
Newcastle, fifth in the Premier League last season, are struggling in 16th place, two points above the relegation zone.
Alan
Pardew has been desperate for new singings with Newcastle having been
hit by defensive injuries, while his talismanic captain and centre-half
Fabricio Coloccini wants to return home to Argentina according to media
reports.