NEWCASTLE UNITED are close to completing a move for Burnley striker Chris Wood, with the New Zealander set to undergo a medical on Tyneside in the next 24 hours.

The Magpies are understood to have triggered a buyout clause worth around £20m in Wood’s contract at Turf Moor, and with the forward having expressed a desire to move to St James’ Park, Burnley have been unable to keep hold of him.

Clarets boss Sean Dyche is believed to be deeply unhappy at Wood’s departure to one of his side’s main relegation rivals, with Newcastle hoping the 30-year-old will complete his move in order to be available for Saturday’s home game with Watford.

The Newcastle hierarchy have spent the last few days pursuing a number of different attacking targets, with their transfer search having taken on added urgency once it was confirmed that leading scorer Callum Wilson would be sidelined for around two weeks.

Amanda Staveley and her advisors remain hopeful of bringing in a striker for the long term before the transfer window closes at the end of the month, with Reims teenager Hugo Ekitike at the forefront of their thoughts.

Talks have taken place with the Reims hierarchy, but with the Ligue 1 club holding out for more than €30m, a valuation Newcastle are reluctant to match, there was a need to come up with a short-term solution to the lack of attacking firepower that was exposed in last weekend’s FA Cup defeat to Cambridge United.

Wood is seen a short-term solution to the Magpies’ problems, having scored 53 goals in 164 senior appearances since joining Burnley from Leeds in the summer of 2017.