Jonas signs on until 2015

Newcastle United have announced that Argentine winger Jonas Gutierrez has signed a new contract at the club.

Jonas has put pen to paper on a two year extension with Newcastle which will see him contracted to the club until 2015.

The biggest thing for me is that it shows a commitment to keeping our current players, which is something that the club struggled with over the summer. Granted it's not a cast iron guarantee that Jonas will not be moving, but it does at least show that we do offer wages at a level high enough to keep current players interested which had been a concern for some, myself included.

Jonas is a bit of an enigma if truth be told. He has unbelievable tekkers on his day and at times can keep a whole defence occupied. On the flipside of that his end product has come in for criticism as it can be lacking at times, but few can deny that the Argentina international doesn't work his socks off for the team.

However Jonas has revealed that he was only to happy to put to paper on a contract extension. Speaking to the club website, the 28-year-old had this to say:

"I've said many times that I love playing for Newcastle. I love the city, the fans and the team. So I had no hesitation in signing a new contract. It has been a good start to the season and this is a great place to be."

"I am proud that the manager and the board see me as part of the long-term future of Newcastle. I have always given my best here and I will always do that."

I'm pretty chuffed with this news to be honest. It's come a bit out of left field but I'll take it. Is this another sign that things at the club are improving? I'm not sure on that one, but Alan Pardew seems happy enough to have tied down Gutierrez.

"Jonas is an integral part of the future of Newcastle United and we are delighted to have signed a new contract with him," said Pardew. "As a seasoned international player, he adds a different dimension to our play when he is on the field and is a huge asset to us."

"Jonas can turn a game in an instant, he has marvellous ball skills, a terrific work rate and in my time here, has hardly missed a game. That's the sort of consistency, fitness and performance wise, that a manager looks for in a player."

Great news. Colo next please!