James Copley: Sunderland's excellent position explained amid £20m Dan Ballard transfer links & Arsenal factor
James Copley discusses the latest Dan Ballard transfer talk and explains why Sunderland are in a good position
Dan Ballard has been superb for Sunderland since joining the club two years ago and it’s no surprise to see the defender linked with a move this summer.
The former Arsenal man represents one of Kristjaan Speakman and Stuart Harvey’s best success stories. Sunderland’s decision-makers like to pick young players and up-skill them through good coaching and first-team exposure. That strategy has certainly worked where Ballard is concerned.
Ballard was 22 years old when he joined Sunderland, though he was not an entirely unknown quantity after good loan spells with Blackpool and Millwall. Since his arrival two seasons ago from Arsenal, the Stevenage-born player has featured 65 times in all competitions, becoming a fan favourite on Wearside.
Ballard missed just four Championship games last campaign after overcoming an injury-hit first season in which a broken foot limited him to just 16 league appearances. Since then, the defender has developed a good partnership with Luke O’Nien with his performances earning international recognition.
Ballard has picked up 18 caps for Northern Ireland, also netting three goals during his fledgling international career, including a tremendous header against Spain earlier this summer before they went on to win the European Championships in Berlin against England.
Ballard, at times, looked like one of the Championship’s premier defenders last campaign despite Sunderland’s managerial woes and 16th-placed league finish. New Lens boss Will Still seems to agree - with reports suggesting the Ligue 1 club have made the £20million-rated Black Cats man a top target this summer.
Sunderland, though, are in a very good position regarding Ballard. The player signed a new deal 11 months ago in August last year, which still has three years left to run. It would likely take a big-money bid for any club to dislodge Ballard from his home in the North East. The club have protected themselves well.
The Black Cats are also in a decent position in terms of their finances. Yes, the club’s most recent set of accounts revealed the Wearsiders were losing money year-on-year under Kyril Louis-Dreyfus but nowhere near to the extent of some of their divisional rivals. Sunderland also have much wiggle room when it comes to FFP and other financial restrictions, meaning they do not have to sell players.
This window alone has seen Hull City and Leeds United sell key assets in an attempt to balance the books. Sunderland could, in theory, not sell anyone this summer for big money and remain in a decent position financially.
It is also worth noting that Arsenal would be due cash from any Ballard sale as part of the deal which brought him to the Stadium of Light in the first instance. That factor would likely bump Sunderland’s asking price up even further should firm bids arrive this summer.
It feels like it would take a huge bid of way in excess of £20million for Sunderland to consider letting such a key player depart this window. As things stand, that does feel unlikely. The caveat to that, though, is that the picture can shift quickly as the window gathers pace. In any case, the defender’s recent injury may thwart any transfer interest from the get-go.