Arsenal negotiate 'significant sell-on fee' into defender's Sunderland contract

The 22-year-old signed a three-year contract on Wearside after leaving the Emirates Stadium, while Sunderland have an option to extend the deal by a further year.

Ballard was close to joining Burnley for a reported fee of £2million, yet the move broke down and allowed Sunderland to pounce.

The central defender was being tracked by several Championship clubs, after making 31 league appearances for Millwall last season, and has been capped 10 times by Northern Ireland.

But while first-team opportunities at Arsenal would have been limited, the Gunners did recognise Ballard’s potential.

According to Football.london, Arsenal therefore requested and agreed a ‘significant’ sell-on clause into Ballard's transfer, meaning they will gain a percentage of the fee if the player leaves Sunderland in the coming years.

After signing for Sunderland, Ballard told the Black Cats’ website: “It feels amazing to be here and I’m extremely happy. The fan base and size of this football club speaks for itself and having been up here to have a look around, it feels like an exciting place to be.

"Supporters can expect to see a player who loves defending and tackling – I’m more of a traditional centre half and I want to add those qualities to the team, whilst also bringing something a little extra. I’m now looking to take the next step forward in my career and I believe this is the perfect place to do it.”

Ballard could feature when Sunderland face Rangers in a pre-season friendly in Portugal on Saturday July 9.