Arsenal prospect Daniel Ballard is inching closer to signing for Championship side Sunderland after his recent move to Burnley stalled.
According to Football Insider, Sunderland are closing in on the capture of Arsenal defender Daniel Ballard, with the Black Cats ready to take a gamble on the 22-year-old. The Gunners starlet was on the verge of joining Burnley, but the Stadium of Light has emerged as his new destination after the move to Turf Moor fell through.
Daniel Ballard is a talented young defender who has come through the youth ranks at Arsenal. Over the last two seasons, the young centre-back has gained immense experience while on loan at Blackpool and Millwall and wants to continue developing in England’s second tier. And Sunderland are now set to be his next destination.
Arsenal had agreed on a fee with Burnley for the transfer of Ballard. New Clarets boss Vincent Kompany has a good relationship with Mikel Arteta and the Arsenal board after he sanctioned Albert Sambi Lokonga’s transfer last summer. The Belgian was keen on the 21-year-old defender, as the club lost two talismanic stars in Ben Mee and James Tarkowski.
Ballard had travelled for a medical, although the move fell through over agreement of terms between the two sides. What went wrong may not be known for now, but the move to Lancashire was off.
Arsenal were keen on developing the defender by getting him loan deals where he could play regularly. The last two seasons worked out well for Ballard after spells at Blackpool in League One and Millwall in the Championship.
The Gunners were keen to provide him with an upgrade, maybe not with regard to divisions, but at least with the new team. Burnley represented a quality side that had spent many years in the Premier League.
However, with the move falling through, Sunderland have come into the picture in the last few days and agreed terms with Arsenal for Ballard. The challenge at the Stadium of Light is very different from what could have been at Burnley. The 22-year-old could complete the move to the newly-promoted Championship club imminently.
The Black Cats only managed to gain promotion to the Championship after winning their League One playoffs. Sunderland boss Alex Neil will look to successfully integrate the defender into his setup as they aim to stay put in the second division during next season.