Sunderland favourite Stephen Elliott has claimed that bringing in Danny Batth from Stoke City could "could go down as one of the best value for money signings the club have ever made". 

The 32-year-old centre-back made the move from the Bet365 Stadium to the Stadium of Light back in January on a free transfer and has become a key player since.

Batth has racked up 31 appearances for Sunderland already – helping them win promotion via the League One play-offs last season and now establish themselves in the Championship.

The defender had fallen out of favour at Stoke and only had six months left to run on his deal with the Potters so they were happy to let him leave without a fee but the Black Cats have certainly benefitted.

In his column for the Sunderland Echo, Elliott, who spent three years with the North East club himself, made a bold prediction about Batth and his move to the Stadium of Light.

He said: "I have to mention Danny Batth also. I’m running out of superlatives for the experienced stopper. His desire to defend his goal is immense and could go down as one of the best value for money signings the club have ever made.

"Big statement, but warranted in my opinion. Himself and Bailey Wright are becoming an imposing duo."

Sunderland are 15th in the Championship and could move to within just a point of the play-offs if they win their game in hand – a rescheduled game against Millwall set for the 3rd of December.

The Verdict

As Elliott says himself, this is a bold claim to make but given what Batth has helped Sunderland achieve since his arrival he may have a point.

The experienced defender has been an excellent addition – made all the more impressive given it was a free transfer.

There are other fees and likely a sizeable wage to consider but even so, this goes down as a real victory for the recruitment department.

Batth's contract is set to expire at the end of the season and you'd imagine he'll get at least a one-year extension.