Sunderland are now set to hold ‘contract talks’ with one key player very soon.
Sunderland have endured a difficult month since the season came to an end, with a number of their players linked with moves away.
The Black Cats are yet to appoint a new manager either, so any potential arrivals seem unlikely to happen towards the start of the transfer window.
However, that doesn’t seem to have prevented them from making extra efforts to keep hold of their current crop.
Jobe Bellingham is the latest man to belinked with the exit door, with Tottenham, Brentford and Crystal Palace all interested in the midfielder.
Meanwhile, the likes of Jack Clarke, Trai Hume, Dan Neil and Dan Ballard have all caught the eye of Premier League clubs.
Ballard joined Sunderland from Arsenal in 2022, with his brilliant form earning him a new contract only a year later.
The centre-back put pen to paper on a new four-year contract in August, but it wasn’t long before Everton expressed interest in his signature.
Sunderland ready to go all out to keep hold of Dan Ballard
The 24-year-old has enjoyed a ‘dominant‘ campaign on Wearside and Sunderland clearly want to avoid risking losing him so soon.
According to journalist Michael Graham, the Black Cats have ‘scheduled contract talks’ with Ballard.
He wrote on X: “Some positive #SAFC news for you this morning: Sunderland have scheduled contract talks with Dan Ballard this summer. Determined to keep him at the club despite growing Premier League interest.”
A new contract for Ballard would be a huge step in the right direction
Ballard has been solid for Sunderland this term, despite an underwhelming season for the entire squad.
It will come as no surprise if the centre-back was to attract interest this summer, and he is certainly one player that the club need to keep hold of.
He is currently only one of two available senior centre-backs, with Nectarios Triantis far from the level required of Championship football.
Ballard is likely to be the future of Sunderland’s defence and it would be a huge blow to lose him.
If they can tie him down to a new deal then that would be a huge boost, while it could also tempt the other key players into doing the same thing.