Sunderland is going to start talks with Dan Ballard about a new deal because the Premier League is interested in him.
The defender’s good play makes him an important player, which is why he deserves a new contract.
Ipswich Town wants to sign the Black Cats center back before they start their Premier League season.
Sunderland is going to talk to Dan Ballard about a new deal because they might want to move him in the summer.
Journalist Michael Graham says that the Black Cats want to sign the back to a long-term deal.
Ballard has been an important part of the Wearside team since he moved there from Arsenal in 2022.
Last season, the center-back played 43 times in the Championship, and all of those games were starts (all numbers from Fbref).
The 24-year-old has been named one of the best players on the team in what has been a tough year for the club.
Dan Ballard’s new move
Ipswich Town, who were just promoted, are said to want to sign Ballard ahead of their first season back in the Premier League since 2002.
It was said that the defender moved from Arsenal to the Stadium of Light for £2 million in the summer of 2022.
He signed a three-year deal when he first got there, but in 2023, he extended it to keep him at the Stadium of Light until the summer of 2027.
But the Championship team wants to start talks on a new deal that would keep him there for even longer and might even give him a pay raise.
A new deal would also show that he is committed to the club and ward off any interest in moving him.
The Premier League is reportedly becoming more and more interested in Ballard. If a deal is not made this summer, the club will have a hard time keeping the player.
The Black Cats want to keep such an important member of the first team, but it’s still unclear if a deal can be made.
He might turn his head and try to get out of the league right away if he gets the chance to play in the top flight.
How important Dan Ballard is to Sunderland
| Dan Ballard’s defensive stats 2023/24 – per Fbref.com | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Stat | Per 90 | ||
| Tackles | 1.17 | ||
| Interceptions | 0.82 | ||
| Blocks | 1.36 | ||
| Clearances | 4.27 | ||
| Aerials won | 2.77 | ||
Ballard had a lot of problems in his first season with the team, but he still did well when he was healthy and helped the team make it to the playoffs.
During the previous season, the Northern Ireland international played more consistently, but the team wasn’t good enough to fight for progress to the top flight.
Mike Dodds was in charge of the team for the last few games of the season, but they only managed to finish 16th.
The season ended in a terrible way, and the search is still going on to find a stable replacement for Michael Beale, who was fired in February after only 63 days in charge.
Sunderland would be very lucky to keep Ballard.
Ballard has been a great addition to Sunderland’s team since he joined in 2022.
Keeping players like Ballard will be important if the team wants to fight for promotion in 2025.
Any new deal talks may still rest on how the club’s search for a head coach goes, which doesn’t look like it will end any time soon.
For the 24-year-old, the chance to join a Premier League club right now will be appealing, but the right head coach could help Ballard decide to stay with the Championship team.