Newcastle have signed Nabil Bentaleb on loan from German side Schalke for the remainder of the season.
The deal includes an option to buy the Algerian international.
Bentaleb has previous Premier League experience, having played 66 times for Tottenham.
"I'm very happy to come back to the Premier League, especially with a club such as Newcastle," the 25-year-old told Newcastle's official website.
"The project really interested me. I wanted absolutely to come back to the Premier League. The coach had some trust in me and the club also - I saw that straight away - and I think it's the perfect move for me."
Newcastle boss Steve Bruce says he's been impressed by the midfielder's development in the Bundesliga:
"He's somebody who I paid particular attention to when he was at Spurs, when he broke through and got a big money move to Germany.
"He's played at the highest level now for the last four or five years but he will come in hungry and feeling he has something to prove and will give us the competition we obviously need.
"With the numbers that we've got at the minute, he's got a bit of experience and I think people will enjoy watching him play. He'll come into the squad and I'm sure he'll be a good acquisition for us.
"The fact that he's played in the Premier League before helps, because we know that he can play and knows what the demands of the Premier League are. He's gone from the Premier League to Schalke and played in the Champions League as well, so we're delighted to get him. It's a great signing."
