Cisse signs for Shandong

Cisse moved to Newcastle from Freiburg and scored 44 times in 131 outings, with his three in 21 last season doing little to help the club avoid relegation from the Premier League.

After the news was announced on Saturday, Cisse took to Twitter to post a message of gratitude to the Newcastle supporters.

Papiss Cisse has left Newcastle United to join Chinese Super League outfit Shandong Luneng, the Championship club has confirmed.

The striker joins Shandong for an undisclosed fee, after four-and-a-half years at St James' Park.

Cisse moved to Newcastle from Freiburg and scored 44 times in 131 outings, with his three in 21 last season doing little to help the club avoid relegation from the Premier League.

He joins the likes of Hulk, Ramires and Alex Teixeira in the CSL, while Graziano Pelle has been linked with a move to Shandong from Southampton in recent days.

After the news was announced on Saturday, Cisse took to Twitter to post a message of gratitude to the Newcastle supporters.

"I want to put on record my thanks and appreciation for the Newcastle fans," he said. "I will never forget them as long as i live and will be bk as a supporter alongside them 1 day.

"Every goal i scored in that famous Number 9 shirt was for them. I hope that the team are quickly back in the Premier League. We had some great tomes together and hopefully under Rafa [Benitez] those times will return."