Sunderland position shared as West Ham United poised to make move to sign ex-Arsenal defender Dan Ballard
Sunderland are reportedly in a position of strength as West Ham are poised to make a move for former Arsenal defender Dan Ballard.
According to the Northern Echo [29 June], the Black Cats have the option to extend his deal by another year – giving them the upper hand in talks this summer.
They want to retain the services of the 23-year-old who has impressed manager Tony Mowbray a great deal.
Better options out there
Ballard managed to make just 19 first-team appearances last season and suffered injuries which kept him out for lengthy periods.
He left Arsenal just a year ago and it’s hard to judge him off one season, especially one where he wasn’t fit half the time.
Players tend to have good seasons in the Championship and then fall off so unless he’s arriving at a decent price, this is not a transfer the Hammers need to make.
David Moyes has often looked at the second tier for new signings and while that’s not a bad thing, every player cannot be signed from there.
If they are to kick on, they need to invest the Declan Rice money wisely and look at Europe’s top five leagues for a quality centre-back.
Ballard may be dubbed “Outstanding” by his former manager Neil Critchley, but the level of the Premier League is something else altogether and he might not be ready for it.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are already preparing to cash in on the Declan Rice money as they hold a transfer meeting in London as they’re confident of sealing a £50million signing.