Sunderland defender Danny Batth is ‘one of the best value’ signings that the Championship club has ever made, according to former Black Cats striker turned pundit Stephen Elliott.

The Lowdown: Batth profiled

The Stadium of Light welcomed the centre-back on a free transfer from Stoke City in January, ironically resulting in him playing under current Potters boss Alex Neil, and he’s become a rock at the heart of the backline ever since.

The Black Cats achieved promotion from League One last season and the 32-year-old played a significant role in helping them along the way, with the same level of performance having been carried through into the 2022/23 campaign.

The Latest: Elliott’s praise

In his column for the Sunderland Echo (via Football League World), Elliott was full of praise for Batth’s impact on the side and made a huge claim regarding where he ranks in the club’s history of transfers. 

He wrote: “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.”

The Verdict: New contract deserved

Sunderland risk losing Batth given that his contract is set to expire at the end of the season, but when you look at how much he is valued on Wearside, offering him fresh terms would be nothing less than he deserves.

Labelled ‘top class’ by Josh Bunting, the 6 foot 2 colossus currently averages an outstanding four clearances and 3.8 successful aerial duels per league game (WhoScored).

Those returns place him joint-first and second for those respective metrics at the Stadium of Light (WhoScored), which perfectly illustrates why Elliot has been so effusive in his praise of the defender.

The Black Cats are only four points outside the play-offs, which shows how strong the defence has been, and this is exactly where promotion contenders need to be heading up to Christmas.