Dan Ballard has signed a four-year contract with Sunderland after finalising a move to the club from Arsenal.

The centre-back spent last season on loan at Millwall in the Championship, where he impressed. However, it was always going to be difficult to get near the Gunners first-team squad, so a summer transfer always seemed inevitable.

After a switch to Burnley broke down, the Black Cats have been leading the case for Ballard and Football Insider have confirmed this afternoon that the transfer is now done.

They state the Northern Ireland international has agreed a four-year deal at the Stadium of Light and will join for a fee in the region of £2m.

The 22-year-old will hope to become a key figure for his new side and Ballard's addition will be a welcome relief for Alex Neil who is keen on strengthening the group after guiding them to promotion from League One last season.

Ballard's arrival comes a day after it was announced that Bailey Wright had agreed a new two-year extension to remain with the club.

The verdict

This is fantastic news for Sunderland as Ballard is an excellent young player and he could quickly become an important part of the team.

The level of competition for his signature shows how well regarded the centre-back is, so this is a real coup for the Black Cats and is a very positive start to the window.

For Ballard, he now has a month to settle in at the club ahead of the new season and he will surely be raring to go.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.