Brighton & Hove Albion sign Dan Burn from Wigan Athletic

Brighton & Hove Albion have completed the signing of defender Dan Burn from Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old has put pen to paper on a four-year deal at the Amex Stadium, although he will spend the first half of this season back on loan to Wigan before returning to Brighton during the January transfer window.

Burn has previous Premier League experience from his time with Fulham and is delighted to have another opportunity to play in the top flight.

"I'm buzzing to be here because it's been in the pipeline for a little while, so I'm very glad to get it over the line. I get another crack at the Premier League, so hopefully I can do my bit to help the team – I saw a lot of their matches on the TV last season and they did very well," he told the club's official website.

"I don't know many of the lads personally, but I've played against most of them, so I was very glad to see them do well. They've recruited very well this summer and hopefully the club can kick on again this season.

"The competition within this squad is very good in my position, I've played against Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk many times so I know what their strengths are, and Leon Balogun is someone I've also heard good things about. It's something I'm relishing in the Premier League – hopefully we can push all of the central defenders on to be better. For now, I want to help Wigan as much as I can until January and then be fully prepared to help Brighton from there onwards."

Manager Chris Hughton added: "We are delighted to welcome Dan to the club. He has a wealth of experience from his time with Fulham, Birmingham City and Wigan amongst others.

"He's an imposing figure and had an excellent season helping Wigan to the League One championship. He also impressed in an excellent FA Cup run to last season's quarter-finals.

"He's currently recovering from an injury sustained during pre-season, but he will remain with Wigan. That also benefits both Dan and ourselves as it will enable him to get fully up to speed in terms of fitness before January."

Burn, who stands at 6ft 7in, scored six goals in 53 appearances for Wigan last season.