Bid rejected: Craig Hope "told" major NUFC transfer update today, fans surely fuming - opinion

Newcastle United have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of Brighton central defender Dan Burn in the January transfer window…

Craig Hope has reported that the club have had an offer turned down by their Premier League rivals for the centre-back.

The Daily Mail journalist commented: “I’m told Brighton have rejected an offer of around £8m from NUFC for defender Dan Burn.”

This comes after transfer insider Pete O’Rourke had claimed the Magpies were holding discussions over a deal for the Seagulls enforcer.

He Tweeted: “Understand Newcastle United are now in advanced talks to sign Brighton defender Dan Burn for £10million.”

Fans will surely be fuming with this news as they could be set to miss out on what could be an excellent signing for the club.

Newcastle’s defensive record is appalling and it is no surprise to see that the club are attempting to strengthen in that area of the pitch.

Only Norwich have conceded more goals than the Magpies in the division, having played a game more, and Howe’s team have only kept two clean sheets in 21 matches.

This emphasises the need for a player like Burn to come in to help them prevent the ball from flying past Martin Dubravka and into the back of the net. The Brighton man helped Graham Potter’s side to six clean sheets in 23 starts last term and three in just 12 starts so far this season, showing that he knows how to function as part of a relatively stable backline.

In the Premier League this season, the 6 foot 5 colossus has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 6.96 across 13 games. He has made 3.5 tackles and interceptions and 3.6 clearances per game for his current club, highlighting his ability to win the ball back and defend his own box.

Meanwhile, Federico