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.
READ MORE: Sunderland complete first summer signing as Daniel Ballard joins from Arsenal
The arrival of Ballard is exactly the kind of signing that will not only excite supporters, but also adequately improve the starting XI. With only a few weeks to go until the start of the season, Black Cats fans will be desperate to see their club conduct further quick business.
Although, for now, they are more than happy to see the announcement of a new signing and here is what some of them had to say on Twitter.
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