“I totally expected this” – Reaction given as Everton plot £20m Sunderland raid

Everton have earmarked Dan Ballard as a potential replacement for Jarrad Branthwaite should he leave the club this summer.

Everton weighing up transfer move for Dan Ballard

The Toffees are battling to stay in the Premier League this season, but, whether they do or not, it seems they could be vulnerable to losing star defender Jarrad Branthwaite.

The left-footer has established himself as one of the top young players in the country, and a host of clubs are looking to take advantage of Everton’s financial situation to bring him in.And, if he does move on, it has been revealed that the Merseyside outfit could turn to Ballard, who is excelling for Sunderland in the Championship, with the report stating they could pay around £20m to bring the player to Goodison Park.

The former Arsenal youngster joined the Black Cats in the summer of 2022, and he has gone on to make over 50 appearances for the club.

Dan Ballard is capable of playing in the Premier League

The Northern Ireland international has been a reliable performer since arriving on Wearside, as he has all the attributes you would expect from a modern defender. Plus, at 24, he is about to enter his peak years.

Therefore, top-flight interest felt inevitable leading up to the summer window, and Sunderland fan pundit Jack stated he always expected Ballard to be on the move, as he talked up his ability.

“You’re disappointed, but you expect to hear it really because since he came in last season he has been very, very good. You can see he’s one of the best in the league, he’s very mature for his age and great on the ball. He’s a very good box defender as well, and does his job; strong, physical, not afraid to put his foot in or put his head anywhere.

“I totally expected this, and he’s another one where I wouldn’t be surprised if he left this summer, and good luck to him if he does.

“There are a few parts to his game that need polishing up, as he can be a bit rash sometimes, but for the most part he’s definitely a Premier League centre-back in the making. I think he will go on to have a good career, and we can’t really stand in the way of that.

“We’d need to get a big fee for him, there’s talk of £20m, and I think you’d probably take that.”

Sunderland’s summer plans

Obviously, there’s still a lot to play for over the final months of the campaign, and Sunderland will feel a top six finish is still a possibility under Mike Dodds.

However, failure to go up will mean a few players could move on, with Jack Clarke the obvious one.

But, Ballard’s not far behind the winger in terms of his importance to the team, and he has certainly shown enough to suggest he would be able to handle the step up.

We know that Sunderland are a club that will sell players if the right offer comes in, and that strategy will be in place this summer. So, it’s about getting the right sum for Ballard if he does move on, and £20m would appear to be a fair price for all parties.

This is clearly one to monitor in the summer, but there’s a lot of football to be played before then.