Newcastle full-back Davide Santon has completed a loan move back to former club Inter Milan.
The 24-year-old Italian will spend the remainder of the campaign at Inter, who have an option to buy him outright during the summer.
A club statement said: "Newcastle United can confirm that Davide Santon has joined Inter Milan on loan for the remainder of the 2014-15 campaign with an option to buy at the end of the season. The 24-year-old Italian defender joined the Magpies from the same club in August 2011."
Santon, who arrived on Tyneside as a £5million signing, has made only one senior appearance since damaging his knee in April last year, and with Daryl Janmaat holding down the right-back spot and Paul Dummett and Massadio Haidara competing on the left, has been allowed to move on.
He revealed his impending departure early on Monday morning via his Facebook page, although later deleted the post after Newcastle insisted no deal had been struck.
In it, he said: "Life is strange. I would never have imagined to come back.
"I wanted to thank Newcastle and all the fans for these three and a half years together. We have spent so many good times. This city and this team will always remain in my heart.
"You start a new chapter. I am happy to go back to the Inter. It is where I started my career and there I lived many important moments.
"I will give my best to repay the confidence that was given to me."
The clubs later agreed terms for a man who was given his big chance by Jose Mourinho during their time together in Milan, although Santon's partner Chloe Sanderson indicated the move might not have been the Italian's preferred choice.
She used her Twitter account to say: "Just to put it out there, Davide declined Inter Milan's first offer but was pushed out by Newcastle United to leave…
"Disgusted with how Davide has been treated, fully fit for a while now with no chance to play- a club whose only intentions are to make B£B£B£."
Her tweets too were later deleted.
