Sunderland have confirmed the signing of Dan Ballard from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee. The 22-year-old will join the club on a three-year deal with an option of a further year and becomes the first signing of the summer.
The Black Cats fought off interest from a number of other clubs in the Championship as well as elsewhere around Europe. It looked, initially, as though Ballard would sign for recently-relegated Burnley as he reportedly had a medical booked at Turf Moor but the move fell through.
Ballard will hopefully be the first of many new recruits to come through the door at the Stadium of Light this summer. Alex Neil will want to add plenty of quality to his squad to ensure they are best placed to consolidate their place in the Championship following promotion.
