Fulham have confirmed the capture of Darlington defender Dan Burn for a fee that could rise to around £1m.
The initial fee for the 18 year-old centre back is believed to be in the region of £350,000 – which represents a Conference record. Burn moves to London after making just nineteen senior appearances for Darlington but the Whites were encouraged to try and wrap up a deal swiftly given the number of Premier League suitors who were watching his progress.
Burn was promoted into the first team after a handful of youth games for the start of Darlington’s FA Trophy run and manager Mark Cooper, a former Fulham midfielder, so impressive with the Blyth youngster that he remained in the senior side. The 6ft 6in defender was the subject of firm bids from Everton, Newcastle and a number of other unnamed top flight sides but Darlington chairman Raj Singh described Fulham’s offer as ‘the best deal for the club’.
Singh said: “This represents a fantastic bit of business for Darlington and we’re delighted for Dan that he’s joining a top, Premier League club. Mark Cooper wanted to make sure Dan joined the right club and he kept me informed of all enquiries, ensuring we got the best possible deal while also looking after the player, so he deserves a lot of credit for that.
I’d also like to thank Dan’s parents for the way they’ve handled themselves. They allowed us to handle the deal without getting involved and trusted us to make sure it was right for both the club and the player. Dan will join Fulham at the end of the season and, naturally, we wish him our luck in what we hope and believe is the beginning of a very successful career.”
Burn has signed a three-year deal at Craven Cottage and will join his new Fulham team-mates in June.
