Newcastle sign Ryan Fraser after confirming arrival of £20m Wilson
Ryan Fraser has signed a five-year deal with Newcastle and will join his former Bournemouth teammate Callum Wilson at St James’ Park after the striker competed his £20m move on the same day.
Scotland international Fraser was a free agent after leaving Bournemouth at the end of his contract and it is understood that he turned down an approach from Crystal Palace to join Steve Bruce’s side instead.
“It was just a no-brainer, really, to play in such a big stadium with such passionate fans, and being back up in the north again is big as well,” he told Newcastle’s website.
“So I’m really looking forward to it and I just cant wait to show everyone what I can do, help the team and help us get back to where we belong.”
Wilson, who has four England caps and was also wanted by Aston Villa, is relishing the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of some of the club’s biggest names. He said: “From the minute I knew that Newcastle were interested, it was definitely something that appealed to me. It’s a massive club with great history. Along the years they’ve had great strikers so if I can emulate half of what they’ve done, I’d like to attempt that.”
Bruce was delighted to get his man with the start of the new season only five days away. “Callum is somebody I’ve admired for a long time and I’m delighted to get him,” he said. “He has done fantastically well at Bournemouth and was deservedly playing centre-forward for England less than two years ago.
“The club has worked ever so hard to get Callum here and we have beaten off competition from a number of clubs.”
Newcastle are also set to reinforce their defence after the club had a £13.5m bid for the Norwich defender Jamal Lewis accepted. The left-back was the subject of a failed £10m offer from Liverpool in August, with the champions instead turning to Olympiakos’s Kostas Tsimikas.
Newcastle, who made the midfielder Jeff Hendrick their first signing of the summer, are also keen to sign the Arsenal centre-back Rob Holding on a season’s loan.