Newcastle United Sign Dutch Striker Siem de Jong

After a year and a half of penny pinching by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, it appears the Magpies are finally willing to spend in the transfer market.

The signing of Siem de Jong from Ajax was completed Tuesday for an undisclosed fee and the player was signed to a six-year contract. The 25 year-old  club captain and midfielder scored 7 goals in 19 appearances during the 2013-2014 season for Ajax. De Jong joins former Tenerife striker Ayoze Pérez and Sunderland midfielder Jack Colback as new editions to the St James Park based side.

Starting in the club’s youth program, de Jong has been with Ajax since 2007 and made his first international appearance for the Netherlands at the U-21 level the same year.

Magpies Manager Alan Pardew said of the signing:

“We are absolutely overjoyed to bring Siem to the club because he will give us intelligence in the final third and create goalscoring situations, which we lacked towards the end of last season, It is a big signing for this club. Siem brings massive experience from Ajax. I think our fans are going to enjoy the way he plays and I cannot wait to start working with him.”

Siem de Jong replaces his younger brother Luuk as a Newcastle striker. Luuk de Jong struggled to adapt to the Premier League in a loan spell last season at St James Park and has returned to the Bundesliga.

Siem de Jong said of joining Newcastle,

“It is great to have signed for Newcastle, It is a big club which my brother told me all about, so I already feel good here. I had been at Ajax a long time and wanted a new challenge in a new environment and a new country.”

Newcastle are likely not done shopping yet this summer. After the United States’ 2-2 draw with Portugal last month, Pardew indicated that several North American players were on the club’s radar for potential future transfers.