Sheffield United lining up move for £15m “warrior”

Sheffield United fans must have a sinking feeling in their stomachs when it comes to the ongoing automatic promotion race in the Championship.

Indeed, Chris Wilder’s Blades have found recent games in the second tier unexpectedly tricky, with three defeats on the spin in the league resulting in United falling out of the top two.

Now, an ever-increasing five-point gap has formed between the out-of-form side and Daniel Farke’s table-topping Leeds United.

Still, the second tier is known for throwing up many twists and turns. Amidst all this talk about promotion, there has also been a transfer rumour here and there, with the Blades linked with a top EFL performer in the centre-back areas.

Sheffield United interested in £15m defender

Much of the transfer chatter since January has surrounded Queens Park Rangers defender Jimmy Dunne with reports in recent months suggesting the Blades are interested in signing the centre-back.

However, they can forget about that move by looking at another centre-half currently shining in the EFL.

As per journalist Alan Nixon, the stuttering promotion candidates are interested in a deal for Sunderland powerhouse Daniel Ballard.

Nixon elaborates that Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats would perhaps sanction a deal for their dominant centre-back to leave if the Blades coughed up a fee around the £15m mark, with Wilder and Co somewhat light in the centre-back department this season to date.

Described as a “warrior” by Tony Mowbray – Wilder’s desired targethas the potential to be equally as impactful as Harrison Burrows with the former Peterborough United full-back having taken to Championship football like a duck to water after waving goodbye to League One.

How Ballard could be Burrows 2.0

Burrows more than warranted this move up a division with the South Yorkshire titans, with the Posh academy product lighting up the third tier by constantly putting in vibrant attacking displays on the left channel.

59 goals and assists would be tallied up by Burrows wearing Peterborough blue, and although he’s had to deal with the harsh step-up in quality quickly, he’s come out the other end with flying colours.

Indeed, having traded one EFL club for another, just like Ballard may do, he has tallied up five goals and three assists as a regular this season in the league above.

Across his excellent Sunderland stay to date, Ballard has also shown he has an eye for goal – away from bravely going about his defensive duties – with the header above back in 2023 one of five goals the ex-Arsenal man has managed to chip in with from 85 total appearances.

His powers haven’t waned since this bundled-in effort against Sheffield Wednesday, with the defender often finding himself out of Le Bris’ XI owing to injury troubles rather than any notable drop-off in form.

When he has been fit, however, the 25-year-old has been one of the first names on the Frenchman’s teamsheet, with Ballard both a capable defender when it comes to his ball-playing ability, but also his ability to get stuck in and put in dogged performances by winning 4.5 duels per game this season in the league.

There would be a risk attached with this deal considering his sketchy injury record, but if he was to break out of these recurring problems, he could potentially be the club’s next Burrows as he is a formidable performer in defence who is also a goal threat when needed.

Ballard would no doubt be even more inclined to swap Wearside for Yorkshire if Wilder’s men break out of the Championship, but that unfortunately, could prove to be too steep of a hurdle to overcome if recent results are anything to go by.