Burnley sign Brighton striker Ashley Barnes

The 24-year-old becomes Sean Dyche’s first signing of the January transfer window after signing until the summer of 2017, for an undisclosed fee.

And after penning the deal on Friday, subject to Football League acceptance, Barnes will go straight into the Clarets squad for Saturday’s Championship game at Yeovil.

Barnes will wear squad number 30 at Turf Moor.

The Somerset-born striker, who joined Albion in 2010, made over 150 appearances for the Seagulls, scoring 42 league goals.

He began his career at his local club Paulton Rovers, where he established himself as a prolific goalscorer and, after impressing in a trial with Plymouth Argyle, was rewarded with an 18-month contract at Home Park in 2007.

Barnes found first team opportunities hard to come by at Argyle and soon spent time on loan with Oxford United and Salisbury City.

He enjoyed further loan spells with Eastbourne Borough in 2008 and Torquay United two years later, before subsequently joining League One Brighton and Hove Albion, initially on a season-long loan, where he scored on his debut against Tranmere Rovers.

In July 2010, Barnes signed a two-year contract with Brighton after joining for an undisclosed fee and, in April 2011, scored the decisive goal in a 4-3 home victory over Dagenham and Redbridge, which confirmed promotion to the Championship.

After ending the season as Brighton’s second top scorer, with 20 goals in 49 appearances, the 2011/12 season saw Barnes remain as first choice striker for the Seagulls. And he went one better, topping the club’s scoring charts with 14 in all competitions.

Barnes is also an Austrian international, having made an appearance for the Under-20s in 2008, when he faced Switzerland.

In the current campaign Barnes scored six goals in 24 games for Albion, ahead of his move to Turf Moor.

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