Sheffield United find out significant Sunderland AFC price-tag ahead of planned transfer raid | OneFootball

Ballard is on the Blades' summer radar, but they're going to have to break the bank to land him

Sheffield United may have to pay up to £15 million if they want to land Sunderland defender Dan Ballard this summer.

Football League World exclusively reported earlier in April that the Northern Ireland international was high up on Chris Wilder's transfer priorities for the upcoming summer - but only if the Blades are promoted to the Premier League.

And whilst their push for the top flight has taken significant knocks within the last week, with three defeats on the spin, United will seemingly not be deterred in their efforts to sign the Black Cats centre-half, but it will require a big effort between now and potentially the end of May.

Dan Ballard asking price emerges as Sheffield United keen on Sunderland transfer raid

According to a report from journalist Alan Nixon, Sheffield United are going to have to pay a significant price for Ballard if they are to land his services.

The ex-Arsenal defender will command a fee of at least £12 million if he is to depart the Stadium of Light this summer, although that could be as high as £15 million depending on how potential negotiations go between the two clubs.

It would mean a big profit for Sunderland on the 25-year-old, who arrived on Wearside in the summer of 2022 from the Emirates Stadium for a fee of £2 million, but with over three years on his contract remaining at the club, there will be no rush to sell by owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus for any less than what they believe he is worth.

Dan Ballard's injury record must surely concern Chris Wilder at Sheffield United

Given their recent struggles in defence, it's clear to see that Sheffield United need to strengthen in that area of the pitch whatever division they're in for the 2025-26 season.

Since losing Harry Souttar halfway through the campaign, they have not been as convincing at keeping the ball out of the back of the net, and those shortcomings are being exposed in recent weeks.

Ballard would certainly bring a lot of pedigree to the table, but he does have a rather concerning injury record that Sheffield United will already be wary of.

He has played just 19 Championship matches this season, with several different injuries at different points of the campaign proving to be hampering Ballard's playing time - the latest being a hamstring problem that has sidelined him since February.