Sheffield United Linked With Championship Defender Who Could Be A Huge Improvement on Current Player | OneFootball

Sheffield United are reportedly eyeing a move for Sunderland defender Dan Ballard this summer, per Football League World.

The 25-year-old Northern Irish international was linked with the Blades back in 2022, but nothing came of the speculation. Instead, he joined Sunderland for around £2 million after a successful time in the Arsenal academy. Since then, he’s gone on to make 81 Championship appearances for the Mackems, helping them keep 18 clean sheets in that span.

With Sheffield United pushing hard for instant promotion back to the Premier League, they will already have a long list of potential targets ready to pursue for the summer. Ballard’s contract expires in June 2028, and given he has established himself as a top Championship centre-back, he will likely cost a hefty fee to prise him away from the Northeast.

Of course, all this will depend on which division both the Blades and Sunderland will be in next season. If United do go up, they’ll have the flexibility to spend a fair few million on players. But, if Sunderland were to go up as well then they’d be in no hurry to sell their star defender.

Sheffield United Already Preparing to Change Directions if They Get Promoted Back to the Premier League

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – MARCH 28: Chris Wilder, manager of Sheffield United, look on before the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United FC and Coventry City FC at Bramall Lane on March 28, 2025 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

United suffered an absolutely horrific season in the Premier League last term, finishing rock bottom of the top-flight, and conceding over 100 goals in the process. The vast majority of those matches saw Anel Ahmedhodzic and current club captain Jack Robinson in the back line; in a three under Paul Heckingbottom, and in a back four under Chris Wilder.

Blades fans saw their back line massively exposed in all aspects of play, whether on the counter, set up in a low block, or from crosses and set-pieces.

Wilder won’t need reminding of last season’s horror show. But, one thing Sheffield United do have now is a very competent shot-stopper, and one that can come out and claim crosses to take the pressure off the defenders.

The United manager knows that just having a competent keeper won’t be enough to keep the ball out of the back of the net. They’d have to improve the defence given all the crosses and set-pieces the Blades suffered from last term, and it certainly appears as though Ballard would be an upgrade.

Dan Ballard Has Outperformed Blades Defender This Season

The Northern Irishman has registered 4.93 aerial duels won per 90 with a success rate of 73%, ranking him in the 94th percentile among current Championship centre-backs. In contrast, Robinson has registered 2.98 aerial duels won with a success rate of 59.8%, ranking him in the 56th and 34th percentile respectively.

Additionally, Ballard ranks much better than Robinson on the ball; averaging a higher pass completion rate, almost doubling the United defender’s progressive passer per 90, and is much better in terms of carrying the ball.

While this all sounds promising, the one concern regarding Ballard is his injury history. The 25-year-old has missed 58 games in his first three campaigns with Sunderland, which could be very off putting for Sheffield United, especially if he commands a big transfer fee.

All stats taken from FBref and Transfermarkt.