Newcastle’s latest signing Jonas Gutierrez. Photograph: Jaime Reina/Getty Images

The Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan today made his first major summer signing when he landed Argentina international winger Jonas Gutierrez for an undisclosed fee on a five-year contract. Gutierrez, who is 25 on Saturday and has been nicknamed Spiderman for the mask he puts on for goal celebrations, will join his new team-mates later this month after a break following his appearance in his country’s 0-0 World Cup qualifier draw in Brazil on June 18.

“I cannot tell you how excited I am to be joining Newcastle United,” said Gutierrez. “The Premier League is a great place to play and I cannot wait to meet my new team-mates and prove myself to the Newcastle United fans.”

Keegan added that he was delighted to pip a host of other clubs to Gutierrez’s signature. “Jonas is a wonderful signing for us,” he said. “I know a lot of other clubs have been interested in him. He’ll be a terrific addition to the squad. He’s an exciting player and I’m sure our fans will enjoy watching him.”

About this articleCloseThis article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Wednesday July 02 2008. It was last updated at 11:50 on July 02 2008.

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