Newcastle United Sign Striker Chris Wood

New Zealand striker Chris Wood has readily admitted he never envisaged a club triggering the £25m release clause in his contract at Burnley but, once Newcastle United activated it, he felt powerless to say no to Saudi Arabian-controlled club, Louise Taylor writes for The Guardian.

“I knew the clause was sitting there but I don’t think anyone ever thought it would ever be triggered,” said Auckland-born Wood, hours after becoming the most expensive 30-year-old signing in Premier League history. “But that’s the way football can be sometimes … You never know, in six months’ time you might look back and say: ‘That was a great deal.’”

Woods is known for his “formidable aerial presence”.

“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,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said.

Original article by Louise Taylor, The Guardian, January 13, 2022.