Recent Sunderland decision now looks vital as Burnley plot move for 24-year-old: Opinion
Dan Ballard is a key man for the Black Cats, which is attracting attention
Sunderland’s young squad’s strong start to the season has attracted interest from Premier League clubs, including Burnley.
Dan Ballard, a key figure in Sunderland’s defense, is reportedly being watched by Burnley as they consider a move for the center-back in January.
Sunderland’s decision to secure Ballard’s future with a new four-year contract now looks even more important, as it allows them to demand a sizable fee if he were to be sold.
It is perhaps no surprise that a number of Sunderland players look to be attracting transfer interest from the Premier League.
The Black Cats defied many expectations last season when, in their first campaign back in the Championship after four years in League One, they were able to secure themselves a place in the play-offs.
Ultimately, they would miss out on promotion to the Premier League at the semi-final stage, where they were beaten by Luton Town.
Even so, Tony Mowbray’s side have made another strong start to the current campaign, that suggests they have a chance of at least repearing that feat again this time around.
What makes that even more impressive, is the fact that they are doing this, with one of, if not the youngest squad in the Championship.
However, the fact that they have so many young players producing such high quality at such an early stage of their careers, is something that makes it understandable they are attracting interest from the top-flight, given the potential they have to become even bigger assets as they continue their development.
Now it seems as though one Sunderland player who is attracting that sort of interest as attention starts to turn towards the January transfer window, is Dan Ballard.
Which Premier League teams are interested in Dan Ballard?
According to reports from journalist Alan Nixon, newly promoted top-flight side Burnley are now taking an interest in Ballard.
The centre back joined the Black Cats back in the summer of 2022, arriving on a permanent deal from Arsenal, following an impressive loan spell with Sunderland’s Championship rivals Millwall the season before.
Having been hampered by injury when he first moved to the Stadium of Light, Ballard has since become a key figure in the centre of defence for Sunderland, making a total of 33 appearances in all competitions.
Indeed, the 24-year-old has featured in every Championship game for the club so far this season, producing some solid defensive performances, and scoring two goals, to emerge as a key man in their play-off push up until now.
As a result, it is now claimed that Burnley have been watching the progress of Ballard, as they weigh up a move for the centre back once the window reopens at the turn of the year.
It is thought that Clarets boss Vincent Kompany is keen to bring in an old-school defender in a bid to solidify his side’s backline, after a tough start to life back in the Premier League.
So with that in mind, it does seem as though one piece of business Sunderland completed with regards to Ballard over the summer, looks particularly important.
Sunderland’s recent agreement with Ballard now looks even more vital
While the focus throughout any transfer window is always primarily on incomings and outgoings, Sunderland also did business with certain current players, such as Ballard.
Back in early August, the Black Cats announced that the centre back had put pen to paper on a new four-year contract with the club, securing his future at The Stadium of Light until the end of the 2026/27 season.
That of course, means that amid that interest in his services from elsewhere, there is no risk for Sunderland of Ballard running down his deal with the Black Cats and walking away for a free, while being a player who is worth a lot more to the club.
Indeed, with so long remaining on his contract at The Stadium of Light, Sunderland now know that they are under no pressure to sell the 24-year-old unless it is on their own terms, meaning they can demand a rather sizeable fee for his services, should Burnley, or any other club, come calling in January.
In turn, that would ensure that if the centre back does move on at the turn of the year, it will in a deal that brings in funds for Sunderland that could potentially not only allow them to replace Ballard, but also strengthen other areas of their squad as well, and that is even if he is to leave at all.
So with all that in mind, it seems this emerging interest in the centre back from Burnley, means that the decision made by Sunderland in handing Ballard a new contract back in the summer, now looks to be an even more sensible and crucial one, than it did at the time.
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