Brighton sign Wigan defender Dan Burn for £3.5m

Brighton and Hove Albion have completed the signing of Dan Burn from Wigan Athletic, despite the fact he i currently sidelined with a broken foot.

As a result, the defender will be instantly loaned back to the Latics until January. The Albion hope him playing first team football in the Championship will get him back to fitness ahead of becoming fourth choice centre back at the Amex.

Burn has cost around £3.5m, around the same amount that the club received for Connor Goldson’s move to Rangers.

The 6ft 7in defender started his career at Darlington before moving to Fulham in 2011, although he had to wait nearly three years to make his debut for the Cottagers.

He had two lengthy loan spells before his first appearance for Fulham, playing 34 games for Yeovil Town as the Glovers won promotion from League One in the 2012-13 season. He then played 24 times for Birmingham City before being recalled by Fulham in January 2014.

Burn went onto play 66 times for Fulham in both the Premier League and Championship before joining Wigan Athletic in 2016. He was relegated in his first season at the DW Stadium but helped Paul Cook’s side bounce back by winning the League One title last time out alongside Albion loan goalkeeper Christian Walton.

The decision to send Burn straight back to Wigan means that the Albion will attempt to navigate the first half of the campaign with only three senior centre backs – Lewis Dunk, Shane Duffy and Leon Balogun. Presumably, the development squads Ben White will be called upon as fourth choice if needed.

The Albion seemed to get incredibly lucky last season that neither Dunk or Duffy got injured and that Duffy only had to serve a one game ban.

We’re now looking forward to a Dunk injury and a Duffy straight red this coming Saturday at Watford.