Earlier today, the72 reported that Newcastle were closing in on the signing of Blackburn Rovers captain Grant Hanley.
We can now confirm that it’s a done deal, and that Hanley is now a Newcastle United player.
He joins the club for an undisclosed fee, and has signed a five year deal at the recently relegated club.
Speaking about the transfer, Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez said: “I am very pleased to bring Grant Hanley to our project to add his hard work and potential to our squad,”
“Grant is a young player with a lot of ambition to improve and keep growing with us.”
The Scottish defender made his debut at Blackburn Rovers at the tender age of 18, and appeared over 200 times for the Lancashire club.
He scored nine goals during his time at Ewood Park.
Hanley is a Scotland international, who has played for his country 23 times.
The 24 year old made his debut for Scotland against Wales in 2011, and has been a regular feature in the squad since then.
Speaking to the official Newcastle site, Hanley was thrilled with the deal.
“It is a fantastic opportunity to come and play at such a big club and one that I couldn’t turn down,” he said.
“It is an exciting step in my career but it doesn’t stop there. This is just the start and I am looking forward to helping Newcastle get back into the Premier League.”
