Magpies target more from France after Romain arrival

After initially agreeing to head to Tyneside in February, Amalfitano successfully passed a medical at the club's Benton training complex before formally signing a three-year contract.

The 22-year-old, who has just helped Stade de Reims to promotion to the French top-flight, will officially become a Magpies player when his current deal expires on June 30.

But Amalfitano, a midfielder capable of playing on the right or centrally, was at St James' Park yesterday to finalise the deal before being paraded on the pitch with the shirt he will wear next season.

Amalfitano, whose older brother Morgan plays for Marseille and France, said: "I am very happy to be a Newcastle player. I have seen a bit of the city already and it is a change from France but one I am really looking forward to.

"When a club like Newcastle wants you to play for them it can only be a good thing. I have taken the opportunity to play in the Premier League and cannot wait to get going."

The acquisition of Amalfitano is down, largely, to the scouting system put in place by chief scout Graham Carr. Carr kept tabs on the Nice-born player and is confident he can have an impact in the Premier League.

After emerging through the youth system at Chateauroux he had a brief spell at Evian before moving on to Reims two years ago. His performances have alerted Ligue 1 clubs, including champions Montpellier, but the prospect of moving to the Premier League appealed to him the most.

Now Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has instructed managing director to work on adding two more players from across the English channel which come highly recommended by Carr.

Both Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Mathieu Debuchy have been earmarked as ideal candidates to slot straight in to a Newcastle system which has sealed a return to European competition next season.

Firming up the defence is Pardew's main aim, particularly after securing the services of Amalfitano so early on. He feels the signatures of Yanga-Mbiwa and Debuchy would ensure he does that.

However, there is stiff competition for both and Yanga-Mbiwa's performances in Montpellier's charge to their first French title has caught the eye of a host of top European clubs.

Montpellier are keen to keep him for next season's Champions League campaign, although accept that with just 12 months remaining on his contract they may have to concede defeat.

The 23-year-old has also been monitored by Arsenal and Tottenham, who are also both interested in Ajax's Jan Vertonghen, along with Newcastle. Yanga-Mbiwa has hinted he is keen on a move to the North-East.

Debuchy, on the other hand, has indicated he will be leaving Lille this summer and former team-mate Yohan Cabaye has been telling him to join Newcastle.

If Pardew can strike deals for both players in the next few weeks then he will have made a significant breakthrough in his attempts to get his squad ready for a campaign destined to be crammed with fixtures after their qualification for the Europa League.

He is still expecting, rather than wanting, interest in some of his players to be lodged, with Danny Simpson, Danny Guthrie and Demba Ba likely to be three of the players most likely to depart.

And yesterday it was confirmed by Neil Lennon that Celtic have opened talks aimed at signing goalkeeper Fraser Forster on a permanent basis.

Lennon, the Celtic boss, has had Forster on loan for the best part of two seasons and a fee has been agreed between the two clubs.

Lennon said: "His agent is in so we are hoping we can move things on pretty quick. We have been delighted with him in the two years he has been here and are hoping we can bed him down for another two or three after that."

* Former Newcastle midfielder Hugo Viana has been called up to Portugal's Euro 2012 squad after Carlos Martins was ruled out through injury.

Braga playmaker Viana, who won the most recent of his 26 caps in 2007, will now hope to figure in Group B against Holland, Denmark and Germany.