Obertan signs on at Newcastle.

Newcastle have today confirmed the capture of Gabriel Obertan from Manchester United on a five year deal.

The 22-year-old has been signed for a fee of £3 million and will be available for the visit of Arsenal at the weekend.

Obertan will effectively replace Routledge in terms of position although I'd like to hope that the former Bordeaux man will have much more of an impact on the pitch at Premier League level than Routledge ever had. Mind you, that is not hard to be fair - just ask Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Fulham....

Anyway, Obertan has been speaking about his move to Newcastle and it seems as though the French winger is happy to be here although I must admit that I always remain sceptical of what footballers say when they join a new club. I swear there is a secret book somewhere that only footballers can use...

On that note Obertan was quick to praise the history of the club, the fans, claim how happy he is to be here and so on. The usual kind of stuff really. Read on for quotes.

"I spoke with some of my friends and Newcastle is a big club with history in England, so it's a great move," Obertan told the official club website.

"I'm just really happy to be here because this is still a big club for me. It wasn't really a difficult decision to come here. I spent two good years in Manchester but it was a bit difficult with the competition and I really needed a club where I could play more games."

"I know it won't be easy to play each game here, because there's a good group, but I want a fresh start in my football."

"I've heard a lot about the fans, the atmosphere, the passion around the club and the way the city is just behind the club 100 per cent, so I think I'm going to love it."

Meanwhile Alan Pardew has had his say on his fifth signing of the summer and has revealed that he has been keeping tabs on Obertan for some time.

"Gabriel is a player I've watched for the last couple of seasons since he arrived at Manchester United," Pardew told the club website.

"He has great pace and excellent technique and he has improved his power in the last 12 months and is ready now to make a real impact in the Premier League."

"I contacted Sir Alex about him early at the start of the summer to see if there was an opportunity to bring him to Newcastle, but it wasn't until Wayne Routledge joined Swansea that we were able to bring him in."

"His best years are ahead of him which is exactly what we want at this club, and with the backing of our magnificent fans I'm sure he will prove an excellent signing for us."

Hopefully this signing gives Alan Pardew the pick me up that he needs as, in my opinion, he's looked and sounded pretty down over the last few days. I hope Obertan and the thought of more signings cheers him up as I don't want hi to get fed up and end up walking.

Those that do want him to walk or feel he is a "puppet", "stooge", "cronie" or whatever should consider the alternative. Joe Kinnear is still out of work...

So welcome aboard to Gabriel Obertan who becomes the latest French connection at Newcastle United. Maybe with a regular run of games and the backing of some compatriots he can flourish and fulfil the potential that he showed at Bordeaux that earned him the move to Manchester United in the first place.

Vive la révolution!