West Ham United transfer news as Daniel Ballard bid to be submitted in days
West Ham United are interested in signing Sunderland defender Daniel Ballard with a bid expected to be submitted in the coming days, according to the Belfast Telegraph.
The former Gunners prospect played a key role in Sunderland’s run to the Championship playoff finals last season with The Sun [16 June] reporting that Ballard’s form had brought the attention of West Ham chief Mark Noble.
And according to the Belfast Telegraph [26 June], chief scout Rob Newman watched the defender at Windsor Park in March during Northern Ireland’s 1-0 defeat to Finland.
The report also shares that West Ham United are expected to firm up their interest in the defender with a bid but with his contract running till 2025, Sunderland are expected to demand a huge fee to sell.
Surprise move
Given the established defensive names West Ham United have been linked with in recent weeks with the likes of Harry Maguire, Roger Ibanez and Edmond Tapsoba all attracting East London interest, the interest in Ballard certainly comes as a surprise.
The 23-year-old only featured in 19 Championship games for Sunderland last season, which could well mean a step up to Premier League may come too soon for him.
It’s evidently clear that David Moyes is in desperate need of quality centre-back additions, with a Europa League adventure to come next season, and there may well be doubts about Ballard’s readiness for such a steep level.
However, that won’t scare off West Ham one bit and the East Londoners are known for acquiring highly-rated Championship products given they already hold an established former English second-division player in Jarrod Bowen who didn’t even seem ready for the English top-flight when he joined, but look at his profile right now.
Ballard, given his age profile, current ability and stark potential, represents an attractive proposition for West Ham to explore.
And in his 19 games last season, the 23-year-old, dubbed “Outstanding” by his former manager Neil Critchley, did impress considerably, averaging 1.5 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, winning 60% of his ground duels and showcasing his qualities in the air too, winning an impressive 64% of his aerial duels, as per SofaScore.
West Ham United are an attractive platform for any young Championship product to further their development and it’s easy to see why Ballard has emerged as a latest target.