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Malaga sign up Toulalan and Mathijsen

French international Jeremy Toulalan is the latest big-money signing for ambitious Spanish La Liga club Malaga.
French international Jeremy Toulalan is the latest big-money signing for ambitious Spanish La Liga club Malaga.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Malaga complete double signing of Jeremy Toulalan and Joris Mathijsen
  • The Spanish side are owned by billionaire Qatari Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani
  • Newcastle sign West Ham striker Demba Ba following sale of Kevin Nolan
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(CNN) -- Spanish La Liga side Malaga have continued their recruitment drive with the purchases of French midfielder Jeremy Toulalan from Lyon and experienced Dutch central defender Joris Mathijsen from Hamburg.

The 27-year-old Toulalan, who represented France at both Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup finals, has agreed a four-year contract and will be presented by the club at the end of June.

He joined Lyon from Nantes in 2006 for $10.5 million, and is a regular for his country -- winning 36 international caps.

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Meanwhile, Mathijsen, 31, spent five successful seasons at Hamburg and has won 72 caps for the Netherlands, playing in last year's World Cup final defeat by Spain.

Malaga are owned by Qatari billionaire Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani, who has invested a lot of money into the squad, since purchasing the club in June 2010.

They flirted with relegation last season before finishing 11th in the table and coach Manuel Pellegrini has brought in the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Julio Baptista, Enzo Maresca and Martin Demichelis over the past year to launch a challenge for a Europa League place this season.

Meanwhile, Premier League side Newcastle have made their second summer signing with the capture of Senegalese striker Demba Ba from relegated West Ham.

Ba, 26, had a clause in his contract which allowed him to move on if West ham were relegated, and he joins French midfielder Yohan Cabaye in arriving at St James' Park.

The signing makes some amends for Newcastle, who this week lost club captain Kevin Nolan, ironically to West Ham.

The 28-year-old Nolan, the highest scoring midfielder in the Premier League last season with 12 goals, signed a five-year deal with the London side to be reunited once again with his former manager at Bolton, Sam Allardyce.