Burnley have broken their transfer record to sign Hibernian striker Steven Fletcher for €3.5 million. The 22-year-old, who has four Scotland caps, joins the club for their first Premier League campaign having scored 52 goals 190 appearances at Easter Road.
Fletcher becomes the club’s second signing in a day following full-back Tyrone Mears’ capture.
Burnley manager Owen Coyle held talks with Fletcher today after the player and his representatives have travelled to Turf Moor to discuss personal terms.
Celtic failed to secure his services in January and Fletcher has indicated he would like further his career in England’s top flight.
Coyle made his first signing of the summer after Mears agreed a three-year deal. The Clarets will pay Derby around €580,000 for the 26-year-old, who had a spell on loan at Marseille last season.
Mears is looking for a change of luck in the top flight after a shattering experience in the 2007-08 season. He was part of the Derby side that finished bottom of the table with an all-time low tally of 11 points.
“It was a freak season, something I do not think will happen again. I have blanked it out of my mind, ” Mears told Clarets World. “I like to get forward but it was difficult to do that as we never had any of the ball. I hope it is going to be different this time with Burnley.
“I may have had experience in the top flight but I still need to prove I am a Premiership player.”
Mears was anxious to return home from France for domestic reasons. He said: “It was not a decision which was the best club, more about where I was going to be happy in terms of being with my family.
“Marseille is a great club. If it was a different situation I would have signed there. But I needed to come back to England and Burnley have given me that chance in the Premier League.”
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