Sunderland are allegedly determined to keep hold of Daniel Ballard this summer.
The Northern Echo have reported that the Black Cats really want to see the defender stay at the Stadium of Light, after reports emerged that West Ham are preparing a bid.
Ballard joined Sunderland from Arsenal for only £2 million last summer and he has gone on to prove himself as one of the Championship’s best centre-backs, despite suffering two major injuries last season.
The 23-year-old only managed to make 19 appearances in his debut campaign for the club, but he looks to an absolute machine when he has featured in their backline.
Ballard’s form has attracted interest from West Ham, who are poised to make a move for the defender as they look to bolster their squad ahead of another season in Europe.
The Irons are said to have watched Ballard play for Northern Ireland in March and have been monitoring his performances on Wearside.
However, Sunderland will look to do everything in their power to keep hold of Ballard, who is highly rated by Tony Mowbray.
Following Sunderland’s win over Reading in February, the Black Cats boss said: “[We] defended well, put our head on a lot of balls.
“I think Ballard and [Danny] Batth have been immense.”
Sunderland should want to keep Daniel Ballard for years to come
Not too much was known about Ballard on Wearside prior to his move north. However, he very quickly won fans over and has become an extremely exciting asset.
If the centre-back can avoid further injury problems, there is no doubt that he could have the likes of Arsenal trying to lure him back to the English capital next summer.
Ballard’s potential pretty much makes him unsellable for the Championship club, with the 23-year-old already one of their best players.
He is almost guaranteed to prove himself to be Premier League quality if Sunderland can win promotion and he still has a number of years to reach his prime – a period that the Black Cats certainly don’t want to miss out on.
The Stadium of Light is definitely the best place for Ballard to develop and for Sunderland to consider any fee for his services would be madness.