Newcastle sign Manchester United's Gabriel Obertan in £3m deal

Posted Wednesday, August 10, 2011 by theguardian.com

• 'I am hungry for football so I'm just relieved,' says 21-year-old
• Blackburn seal signing of Serbian midfielder Radosav Petrovic

Gabriel Obertan says he is looking forward to playing regular football after his transfer from Manchester United to Newcastle.

Gabriel Obertan has joined Newcastle United on a five-year deal after leaving Manchester United for a reported fee of £3m.

The former France Under-21 international made only four Premier League starts for United since he joined from Bordeaux in 2009 and is relishing the prospect of regular football with Newcastle.

"I have come here with a lot of ambition," he told Sky Sports News. "I just want to play football. I am hungry for football so I'm just relieved."

The Newcastle manager, Alan Pardew, was delighted to have landed a long-term transfer target. "It's good news for us," he said. "He is a player we have been after for some time. With Wayne Routledge moving on [to Swansea] there was an opportunity to bring him in. With his pace, power and versatility, he is going to be an important player for us."

The 22-year-old is the fifth French-born player to arrive at St James' Park this summer, following Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba, Sylvain Marveaux and Mehdi Abeid.

Meanwhile Blackburn Rovers have completed the signing of the Partizan Belgrade defensive midfielder Radosav Petrovic for an undisclosed fee. The 22-year-old, who has made 19 appearances for Serbia, has signed a four-year contract after being granted a work permit.