Burn featured 16 times for his boyhood club last season, being on the winning side on 10 occasions and for Merson, he believes the defender deserves great credit for helping his side’s transformation in 2022:
“This is a player who has turned it around for Newcastle United since joining the club in January and it could be argued that his arrival coincided with an upturn in fortunes for Eddie Howe and co.” Merson told Sportskeeda.
“They paid a fair bit of money to snap up Dan Burn from Brighton, but he’s an absolute giant of a defender and has been as solid as a rock.
“He’s not very natural and elegant, but he does what it says on the box! Burn is an old-school center-half and his arrival has turned out to be a masterstroke for Newcastle, as he played pretty much every game in the second half of the season to help them comfortably avoid relegation.
“I liked him when he was at Brighton, but he’s been outstanding at Newcastle. Whoever has played next to him at the heart of the defense has looked good, which is a clear indication that he is the leader of their backline.”
Check out the latest Premier League transfer speculation below...
5. Toon confident on Botman
Newcastle United are ‘confident’ that they can sign Lille defender Sven Botman ahead of AC Milan. (talkSPORT) | Getty Images
6. Hammers close in on Aguerd
Rennes centre-back Nayef Aguerd is expected to undergo a medical with West Ham in the coming days, as the Hammers put the ‘finishing touches’ to a deal. (ExWHUemployee) | AFP via Getty Images
7. Phillips ready to leave Leeds
Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips is ‘ready’ to leave the club amid £60m interest from Manchester City. (Daily Mail) | Getty Images
8. Newcastle eye Fernandes
Newcastle United have ‘positioned themselves’ to sign Braga’s teenage winger Roger Fernandes. The player could cost around £17.1m. (A Bola) | Getty Images