(Football news) After signing Bruno Gumiaraes, Chris Wood and Kieran Trippier, the Magpies have completed their fourth signing of the season in Dan Burn as Newcastle have reached an agreement with Brighton to buy the centre-back Dan Burn for £12.5m. This will take the Premier League club’s spending under their new Saudi-backed owners to £80m in this transfer window, as the hierarchy are looking to avoid the drop this season.

Newcastle earlier had an £8m offer for Burn rejected but returned with an acceptable offer to Brighton after Eddie Howe made the 6ft 7in former Wigan and Fulham player a priority target. Burn was born in Blyth, Northumberland and he subsequently grew up supporting Newcastle and has been keen on the move for a long time. Eddie Howe will be somewhat relieved to have landed a centre-back after being rejected in the pursuit of Lille’s Sven Botman and Sevilla’s Diego Carlos. The manager hopes to make further additions before the transfer deadline, notably at left-back and in attack, where Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah is high on his list.

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Burn, 29, has been in the best form of his life at Brighton of late and is contributing heavily to some eye-catching results for the Seagulls. After recovering from a knee injury, he has been a permanent fixture in Graham Potter’s back three, clocking 13 appearances in the Premier League this season. Burn has excelled in a back-three system at Brighton under Graham Potter over the last two years or so, forming a strong partnership with Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster. 

The 29-year-old can play anywhere in the  back four, in a back three as well as double up as a left-back, and that sort of versatility is what Howe was keen on recruiting. At 6ft 7in tall, the Englishman is a towering defender with excellent aerial ability and physicality and on top of that for a big man he is a crisp passer and likes to go on mazy runs with the ball at his feet. Due to his aerial prowess and ability, Burn can be a deadly asset to have at both ends of the pitch.