Javier Manquillo joins Newcastle from Atletico Madrid

Javier Manquillo is back in the northeast after signing a three-year contract with Newcastle United on Friday.

The Spaniard joins from Atletico Madrid for an undisclosed fee, and has Premier League experience from loan stints at Liverpool and most recently at Newcastle's Tyne-Wear foe, Sunderland.

"I'm very happy to be here. From the first moment that (Newcastle manager) Rafa Benitez called me, I just knew that I had to come here, to such a big club," Manquillo said at his unveiling.

"I'm very happy with the challenge ahead."

Manquillo offers versatility through his ability to play at right-back or left-back, and can play either side of the park at wing-back too. He wasn't a mainstay in the lineup for Liverpool or Sunderland - he has 30 Premier League appearances overall - but did start 31 league matches during a loan stint at Marseille in the 2015-16 campaign.

Newcastle was looking rather bare in the full-back positions before Manquillo was introduced. Vurnon Anita played 22 times on the right-hand side of Benitez's defence last season, but has since moved on to Leeds United. On the other side is Paul Dummett, who didn't set the world alight when he was last in the top tier.

Newcastle kicks off the new season by entertaining Tottenham Hotspur at St James Park on Aug. 13.