Newcastle are 15th in the Premier League for shots, 17th in the Premier League for goals and will be without their top goalscorer for up to two months due to injury, so the Magpies were expected to bolster their attack before the January transfer window shuts.
Chris Wood came onto Newcastle’s radar as Eddie Howe presumably sought a target man who could be a presence in the penalty area. The 30-year-old was a player Burnley wanted to keep to boost their own hopes of survival, but Newcastle have triggered his release clause to bring him to St James’ Park.
Fabrizio Romano of the Guardian and Sky Sports revealed on Tuesday evening that Newcastle agreed a £20m deal with Burnley for Wood after personal terms were hashed out. Fans on social media are pleased to be bringing in a striker, even if they’re paying over the odds for an out-of-form and ageing centre-forward.
Wood joined Burnley from Leeds United in 2017 and has gone on to make 165 appearances across the board, scoring 53 goals with nine assists. The New Zealand international has only scored three goals in 21 games this season, but Howe will be hoping good distribution from Kieran Tripper, Ryan Fraser and Matt Ritchie could see Wood be more prolific.
In other news, fans on social media say Newcastle’s interest in Chris Wood is ‘what we need’
