Daniel Ballard has left Arsenal, joining Championship side Sunderland on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.
Ballard spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan with Millwall, impressing for the south-east London outfit and establishing himself as a fully-fledged Northern Ireland international. However, a pathway to the Gunners' first-team appeared unlikely considering the likes of Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba are all ahead of him in the defensive pecking order - meaning a summer exit was always likely if he wanted guaranteed first-team football on a regular basis.
The 22-year-old was closing in on a move to Vincent Kompany's Burnley last week before a move eventually broke down, with Sunderland then moving quickly before officially unveiling the young centre-half as their latest signing on Thursday afternoon. football.london understands that Arsenal negotiated a significant sell-on fee into Ballard's transfer, meaning they will pocket a percentage of any deal if he leaves the Stadium of Light in the coming years.
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Speaking about the move, Ballard told Sunderland's official website: “It feels amazing to be here and I’m extremely happy. The fan base and size of this football club speaks for itself and having been up here to have a look around, it feels like an exciting place to be.
"Supporters can expect to see a player who loves defending and tackling – I’m more of a traditional centre half and I want to add those qualities to the team, whilst also bringing something a little extra. I’m now looking to take the next step forward in my career and I believe this is the perfect place to do it.”
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