Newcastle manager Kenny Dalglish yesterday ended his long search for a partner for Alan Shearer when he signed Swedish international Andreas Andersson from AC Milan in a £3 million deal.

Andersson agreed personal terms with the Magpies and passed a medical before flying to Sweden to sort out some personal matters. He will return to Britain before the weekend and could make his debut in Sunday's clash at Aston Villa.

The 23-year-old former Degerfors and Gothenburg striker, who has won 18 caps for Sweden, has not had a happy time in Italy, spending most of his time on the substitutes' bench.

He has had the chance to move to Udinese in a straight swap deal with prolific German striker Oliver Bierhoff, but after learning of Kenny Dalglish's interest, he made it plain to AC Milan coach Fabio Capello that he wanted to chance his arm in the Premiership.

The Swede is highly thought of across the continent, scoring 48 goals in only 74 games in Sweden and firing 13 goals in only eight games for Gothenburg immediately before his move to Serie A.

He was the top scorer in his last two seasons in Sweden, but the move to Milan clearly did not work out and he has jumped at the chance of partnering Shearer.

He is a direct, pacey forward with plenty of ability in the air and should be the perfect foil for Shearer as the Magpies try to move back up the table and into contention for a UEFA Cup place.

Dalglish has been an admirer of the Swede for a long time, having tracked him while the player was at Gothenburg and he was Blackburn boss.

The opportunity to purchase Andersson became more than a possibility when AC Milan signed Parma striker Filippo Maniero, a player who has been deemed surplus to requirements after the return to Italy of former Newcastle striker Faustino Asprilla.

Capello had tried to negotiate a higher price for Andersson and spoke to other clubs, including at least one other in the Premiership, before the arrival of Maniero persuaded him to let the striker go.

Dalglish's search for new blood will not end here, with other deals possible by the end of the week. He is believed to be close to sealing a £1.5 million deal for the teenage Stoke full-back Andrew Griffin.

Meanwhile, Middlesbrough hope to complete the signing of the Celtic striker Tommy Johnson. Celtic want £2 million for Johnson, whom Bolton are keen to sign on loan.