Martins completes Newcastle move

Martins has signed a five-year deal

Nigeria striker Obafemi Martins has joined Newcastle United from Inter Milan for £10.1m.

The 21-year-old, seen as a replacement for Alan Shearer, signed a five-year deal after agreeing terms and coming through a medical.

Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder said: "There have been a dozen other strikers who were rumoured to be coming but he has always been the man I wanted.

"I wanted the pace. So for all the speculation, I knew who I was after."

Newcastle officials travelled to Italy earlier this week and successfully agreed a fee for Martins.

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Martins had been unsettled at Inter since the club brought in Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Argentine Hernan Crespo to strengthen their forward line.

He said Newcastle's determination to sign him had played a major part in his decision to join the Magpies.

"Playing in the Premiership has been a long-term ambition and I am extremely delighted with the prospect of concluding that in the next couple of days," he added.

Roeder added: "I am just delighted to get him into the club. He was my number one target and always has been.

"I never wanted to say that because I did not want to create interest from any other clubs.

"These deals take a long time to put together. A month, six weeks ago when I first targeted him and I told the chairman that's who I would like, he was not really available.

"We have had to be very patient, we have had to keep chipping away at Inter Milan to allow us to buy their player, and I am so delighted we have ended up with Martins at the club."

Martins is expected to be in the crowd at St James' Park for the Uefa Cup qualifier against FK Ventspils and he could go straight into the squad for Sunday's trip to Aston Villa.