Newcastle United agree fee for Premier League defender

Newcastle United have agreed a fee with Brighton and Hove Albion for Dan Burn, NewcastleWorld can reveal.

The Magpies have been locked in negotiations with the South Coast club this week over the possibility of bringing Burn back to the North East.

And it is NewcastleWorld’s understanding that a breakthrough has been made, with an exact fee not yet known - and it’s now down to the player to agree personal terms. A medical has been pencilled in.

Burn is happy and settled in Brighton, so is relaxed about the situation, despite Newcastle being his boyhood club.

The 29-year-old used to have a season ticket at St James’ Park, as did his father, and was on the academy books at United between the age of 11 and 13.

Whilst the pull of Newcastle carries a lot of weight for Burn, the player will only return to Tyneside if the deal is right for him and his young family.

The 6ft7 towering defender started his senior career at Darlington before joining then Premier League side Fulham in 2011.

It was at that point Burn had the opportunity to join the Magpies under Alan Pardew but Burn decided it was best to pursue his football career away from the North East.

A permanent move to Wigan Athletic was next for Burn. And then, after two years, Brighton came calling, where he has been since 2018.

He has featured 85 times for the Seagulls and it is his recently established centre-back partnership with Adam Webster that has earned plenty of plaudits in captain Lewis Dunk’s absence.

Burn returned from his holiday in Dubai on Saturday night, so talks between him and Newcastle are expected to ramp up ahead of deadline day on Monday.

Eddie Howe has been trying to sign a central defender all month in a bid to bolster a leaky defence that has conceded 43 Premier League goals this season.

Sven Botman of Lille was the club’s number one target, while efforts to sign Diego Carlos from Sevilla have been deeply frustrating.