Newcastle are on the verge of completing £25m move for Chris Wood

Newcastle are set to complete the £20million signing of Burnley striker Chris Wood after activating a release clause in his contract.

The 30-year-old will undergo a medical on Tyneside ahead of his expected debut at home to Watford on Saturday.

Wood will become the second signing of the club’s new Saudi-backed owners, following the £12million arrival of Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid last week.

The two players share the same agent and it is understood Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley and head coach Eddie Howe were alerted to the availability of Wood during the signing of Trippier.

Their need for a striker became urgent following the loss of Callum Wilson to a calf injury last month. He will miss at least the next eight weeks.

Wood – who has been capped 60 times by New Zealand – joined Burnley from Leeds for £15m in 2017. He has scored 53 goals n 165 appearances for the Clarets and was a regular in Sean Dyche’s side.

However, the release clause left them vulnerable to an approach and losing Wood to a relegation rival is a bitter blow.

Burnley and Newcastle are level on 11 points in the relegation zone, two points adrift of fourth-bottom Watford.