Chris Wood: Newcastle sign New Zealand striker from Burnley for £25m

Last updated on 13 January 2022.From the section Newcastle1731

Newcastle United have signed New Zealand striker Chris Wood from Burnley for £25m.

The 30-year-old has agreed a contract at St James' Park until the end of the 2023-24 season.

Magpies boss Eddie Howe targeted attacking reinforcements after Callum Wilson was ruled out for eight weeks with a calf injury.

"This is massive opportunity and club, and something I couldn't turn down," said Wood.

Wood is Newcastle's second signing this month following Kieran Trippier's arrival from Atletico Madrid.

It had been thought Burnley would not sell the player to a Premier League relegation rival, but Newcastle triggered the release clause in his Clarets contract.

"It wasn't an easy decision," said Wood. "I spent four and a half great years [at Burnley]. Every single year I really enjoyed myself there. My team-mates, the staff, the club as a whole was fantastic.

"To be honest, I wish I'd left when Burnley were further up the league, but that's just how football is sometimes.

"For me, there was no bad blood at all. I enjoyed my time there."

The Football News Show: How much will Burnley miss Wood?

Wood a great fit for Magpies - Howe

Wood, who was Burnley's record signing when he arrived from Leeds for £15m in 2017, scored 53 goals in 165 games for the Clarets, including three in 17 league appearances this season.

The move leaves Burnley boss Sean Dyche with a major problem after losing one of his most experienced forward players.

The Turf Moor side and Newcastle are level on 11 points in 18th and 19th place in the top flight, although Burnley have two games in hand.

"Chris is an important signing for us at a crucial time and I'm very pleased we have been able to move quickly and bring him here," said Howe.

"He is a very dangerous attacking threat, has a physicality and character that I really like, and he has vast experience in the Premier League. He will be a great fit for us."

Wood could make his Newcastle debut in Saturday's home game with Watford, who are two points above the Magpies in 17th.

'I'll come back from injury with different mentality'

Newcastle striker Callum Wilson on The Footballer's Football Podcast

It's going to be good to have new bodies in the building, add competition for places. A striker's coming in the door which is exciting for me - I like it.

I'm going to come back [from injury] with a different mentality, but that's what you need sometimes. You have to have that little boost to get you going again and keep you on your toes.

With me being out injured, we need players that are Premier League-ready and I don't think you're going to get a better striker in the bottom half of the league than Chris Wood.

He's a different profile than me, so I'm sure the manager has in his plans either to play us together or one at a time. He'll be a great addition.

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1731 comments

Comment posted by Spoggy Dog, at 09:31 13 Jan 2022
He is a proven Championship striker so it makes complete sense.
Reply posted by scotstoon, at 09:36 13 Jan 2022
scotstoon replied:
Only scored one less goal than Harry Kane this season !!!
Comment posted by Comment Man, at 09:33 13 Jan 2022
Is this simply Newcastle United looking to weaken a relegation rival?
Reply posted by Bunks71, at 09:41 13 Jan 2022
Bunks71 replied:
I can’t help thinking we should just buy the three best players from Burnley, Leeds and Watford and be done with it (Norwich are gone anyway)
Comment posted by Cam1, at 09:31 13 Jan 2022
Many will mock this. But it’s hard to get a striker in January and we need a big lad like this anyway. Plus, if we get relegated, he’ll get us back up.
Reply posted by nelly, at 09:40 13 Jan 2022
nelly replied:
Quite agree it is hard to find a striker, certainly not paid for one especially Wood
Comment posted by Big Ernie McCracken, at 12:44 13 Jan 2022
Steve Bruce would've been slaughtered if he'd bought a player like Wood.
Reply posted by Cromwell, at 13:11 13 Jan 2022
Cromwell replied:
Agree, although he may get better service at Newcastle. Still not sure they have enough to stay up though.
Comment posted by RoundTheOutside, at 09:37 13 Jan 2022
Newcastle sign Burnley’s only real hope of survival. Very clever. This deal can only get better if Leeds also had a chunky sell-on clause. Top transfer s**thousary!
Reply posted by Sirrantsalot, at 10:06 13 Jan 2022
Sirrantsalot replied:
He's 30 and not exactly prolific. Watch Burnley go out and sign a 22-23 year old now.
Comment posted by MartinR, at 09:49 13 Jan 2022
Nice touch to see Burnley fans and management team wishing their star man all the best in his new job.
Good luck Chris,
Reply posted by Viva Espana, at 12:35 13 Jan 2022
Viva Espana replied:
Clever move by Burnley to sell a striker who isn't scoring to a relegation rival and get a big wad to buy a good young forward.
Comment posted by seanaldo1987, at 09:44 13 Jan 2022
A lot of people are seeing this as a duff signing. Yes its not exactly setting the heather alight, but it is weakening a relegation rival in the process.

Man City went about most of their transfer business in much of the same way in the early years of the Mansour regime signing players like Bellamy, Given, Barry, Lescott and Milner.
Reply posted by Paul , at 10:34 13 Jan 2022
Paul replied:
yep, we got our fingers burnt with Jo and Santa Cruz, Robinho etc so went for solid British players, that got us from mid table to 6th/7th and European football so we could then attract better talent from abroad and when they clicked it took us into Champs Lge, its an upward cycle.

Newcastle are buying well.
Comment posted by John, at 09:29 13 Jan 2022
Sad day for burnley
Reply posted by DarthVegan77, at 10:28 13 Jan 2022
DarthVegan77 replied:
Why?

They just got £25m for an out-of-form 30-year-old striker.

That same money can now be reinvested in a promising young talent, which is arguably what NUFC should’ve spent the money on.

He’s scored 3 goals in the first half of the season. If Newcastle are looking at this as a solution to Callum Wilson’s injury we’re in for a nasty surprise based on current form.

Hope I’m wrong though.
Comment posted by CeeR, at 11:56 13 Jan 2022
Pundits: Newcastle fans expect too much
Geordies: We just want hope and ambition
Pundits: Newcastle should be underwhelmed with Wood
Geordies: Brilliant, he'll do for us!
Reply posted by Weirdside Wally, at 12:00 13 Jan 2022
Weirdside Wally replied:
that sums it up perfectly
Comment posted by The Cloud, at 09:39 13 Jan 2022
No doubt, he will score against Watford on his debut - everyone scores against them ....! Signed, a Watford fan.
Comment posted by jolly, at 09:59 13 Jan 2022
Great signing on many fronts.. directly weakens a rival.. strong centre forward that can hold the ball up and bring others into play like ASM, Ritchie and co into more dangerous positions.. strong in the air going forward and defensively when needed.. should get better service and opps to score than when he was at Burnley.. now the attention must be to plug that shaky defence..
Reply posted by DarthVegan77, at 11:00 13 Jan 2022
DarthVegan77 replied:
Ritchie and Maxi don’t score enough goals to make up for not having an in-form goal scorer up front. Wood’s current record (3 goals for the season) combined with the fact that he’s 30 years old and therefore very unlikely to improve at all, suggests that this is not the solution to our problems up front.
Comment posted by Ricky, at 10:04 13 Jan 2022
Excellent signing. We're desperate for striking options and there are few available. Wood is a proven Prem-quality forward known for hard work and a good attitude; he could play a massive part in keeping us up. We could still do with a couple more signings but Trippier and Wood are a great start. No one sane expected Mbappe or Haaland.
Reply posted by Gaza, at 11:25 13 Jan 2022
Gaza replied:
3 Goals ??????????
Comment posted by GoldstoneGhost, at 10:18 13 Jan 2022
Says everything that Burnley fans have been calling for him to be dropped for weeks and play Vydra instead. Lost a yard of pace that he didn’t have in the 1st place, might as well have kept Carroll if it’s for his aerial threat…£25m 😂
Reply posted by JMC80, at 11:57 13 Jan 2022
JMC80 replied:
Same price as Danny Ings and with very similar Prem scoring records.....not sure what year you think it is....£25m is about the rate I would expect for that level of player.
Comment posted by Pdogg, at 09:37 13 Jan 2022
Newcastle are making smart signings. Their sole aim for this year is to stay up. Then they will be able to attract players needed to be top 8.
Reply posted by nicknack1, at 09:44 13 Jan 2022
nicknack1 replied:
I think top 8 next year is still very optimistic, 12th next year would be solid progress!!

And the championship is arguably much, much more likely with 1 win all season so far
Comment posted by Kingsman, at 09:33 13 Jan 2022
Think this is a shrewd signing; bit overpriced perhaps, but you've got to do what you have to do. Raising some eyebrows clearly, but I think he will bring some grit as well as experience, and pick up the team. And a decent Centre forward. If we get 3 points at the weekend, all good!
Reply posted by Lets Agree To Disagree, at 13:43 13 Jan 2022
Lets Agree To Disagree replied:
He has just swapped one relegation team with another. He may help Newcastle, he may not.
Comment posted by Cam1, at 09:38 13 Jan 2022
Burnley fans must be raging and I totally understand that. If it’s a buyout clause then fair enough, but if the owner chose to sell?
Reply posted by Mikey, at 09:43 13 Jan 2022
Mikey replied:
It's was release clause.
Comment posted by someonestolemyusername, at 09:44 13 Jan 2022
to be fair whoever they signed people would complain is he a prolific goal scorer no what he is, is a big target man to hold the ball up and bring the midfielders in to play if it works the likes of saint maxim will love it
Reply posted by NC, at 13:25 13 Jan 2022
NC replied:
learn to use grammar
Comment posted by brockleyhuts, at 10:38 13 Jan 2022
they are clearly putting together a team just to stay up, that is priority number one
Reply posted by King Charles Ill, at 11:32 13 Jan 2022
King Charles Ill replied:
I still don't fancy their chances. Keeping everything crossed they don't 🤞🤞🤞🤞
Comment posted by matt1il, at 09:45 13 Jan 2022
Sensible signing for us at yes more than he's actually worth, if he helps keep us up he's worth it.

Prem experience, weakens a rival, ready to go on Sat (with Wilson we needed that!), all in a notoriously difficult transfer window (when have big signings really ever happened in Jan?

We've had to meet a release clause to get him as Burnley wouldn't have wanted to sell.
Reply posted by Gaza, at 11:25 13 Jan 2022
Gaza replied:
3 goals ??????????
Comment posted by Enjoy Yourself, at 09:44 13 Jan 2022
A better move for the player rather than the club. But it weakens a relegation rival. If their next signing is Dennis from Watford, we'll know that's the strategy.

Be a bit peeved if I was a Burnley fan. My Blackburn Rovers fan mate is pleased.
Reply posted by The Spin Doctor, at 15:16 13 Jan 2022
The Spin Doctor replied:
Then again Blackburn Rovers fans are very easily pleased, I hear. I mean just telling them that their team is in the promotion hunt at the moment, makes them act like Blackburn have just won the Champions League. 😁