The 24-year-old Ivory Coast international today put pen to paper on a six-and-a-half-year deal just seven months after joining the club from Dutch side FC Twente.

Tiote's superb form at St James' Park has alerted a series of suitors and sparked speculation that Manchester United and Chelsea among others were preparing summer bids for him.

The fact that striker Andy Carroll left Tyneside last month in a £35million switch to Liverpool a little more than three months after signing a new five-year deal will not be lost on the club's fans, and the news that Jose Enrique and Joey Barton have put their own contract talks on hold until the end of the season remains a concern.

However, Pardew, who today also tied up assistant John Carver on a five-and-a-half-year contract, is confident securing Tiote's future represents a firm statement of intent from owner Mike Ashley and the latest phase of his blueprint for lasting success.

He said: "Negotiations are very, very difficult at this level of football, and I think the signing of Cheick underpins the message Mike wants to give, that we can build a young team here which can go forward and take the club forward.

"Cheick is a big part of that and after the disappointment of Andy leaving, it's a very good statement.

"Mike wanted to make a statement after Andy leaving that the future can be bright here, and signing Cheick is a big step forward because he's had a fabulous first season.

"Hopefully now we can build on his signing with others.

"That's something we have got to resolve between now and the end of the season to make sure we keep our best players, and hopefully we can manage to do that.

"Negotiations are never easy and never straightforward, but we are trying to keep what we have here, the really strong parts of the team, together."

Ashley has endured an often-stormy spell on Tyneside since buying Newcastle at the end of the 2006-07 season, and his policy of investing in young players with a potential sell-on value has brought limited success to date.

However, Tiote's capture has proved a masterstroke and with Pardew confident he will be handed the proceeds from Carroll's sale to spend during the summer, he is sure the sportswear magnate is looking to the future - a far cry from his two failed attempts to offload the club.

The manager said: "I think so. It's been well-documented in the past that there was a time when perhaps he wanted to get out, but he understands the club now.

"He has had a rough ride with the situation here and he wants to try to build something.

"Hopefully, this is the start of that. It is fantastic news for the fans, absolutely brilliant, because they were hit by Andy Carroll's departure.

"But the performances of the team since then have suggested that it wasn't all about Andy, and the signing of Cheick is a further boost today."

Tiote and his team-mates will look to build upon a run of eight Barclays Premier League games which has brought just one defeat when they head into battle with Bolton tomorrow.

The Magpies were trounced 5-1 at the Reebok Stadium in November, but have since eased themselves to within touching distance of securing their top-flight status, although Pardew insists there is no room for relaxation.

He said: "It depends what you call the finishing line - our finishing line is way, way in the distance.

"That's what we are going to aim for and see where we fall."

Striker Peter Lovenkrands is a doubt with a thigh strain, and Nile Ranger and Shefki Kuqi are standing by.