Sunderland are ‘in the hunt’ for another centre-back this summer and have joined ‘the race’ to sign Leeds United youngster Charlie Cresswell, claims Chronicle Live journalist Matty Hewitt.
The Lowdown: Ballard’s arrival
After a proposed transfer to Burnley fell through last week, Arsenal defender Daniel Ballard has agreed to join the Black Cats on a permanent deal.
The 22-year-old spent the 2021/22 season on loan in the Championship with Millwall, where he made 30 appearances in the league for the Lions.
Despite never making an appearance for Arsenal’s first-team, the defender has ten international caps for Northern Ireland under his belt and looks like a shrewd signing for Alex Neil’s side.
The Latest: SAFC want another CB
According to Hewitt, Sunderland are also interested in Cresswell, as they look to add another central defender to their ranks.
Taking to Twitter, the journalist claimed: “SAFC are in the hunt for another centre-back this summer and are reportedly in the race to sign LUFC youngster Charlie Cresswell.”
Millwall are also in the mix to bring the Leeds youngster to the second tier.
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The Verdict: Great signing
When called upon by Leeds to play for the first-team, Cresswell has fared well. The 19-year-old made five appearances in the Premier League last season, for which he averaged a respectable 6.50 SofaScore match rating.
In fact, after the defender made his debut in the English top-flight, Leeds presenter and podcaster Joe Wainman was full of praise for the youngster (via This Is Futbol): “These centre-backs that are not fit or are looking to come back into the side, they need to be worried, because that boy, for me, was unbelievable and I don’t think he should come out of the side.
“He’s a mainstay now, for me. I thought Cresswell was class, genuinely class.”
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With such impressive – albeit brief – experience at the highest level, this could be a great signing for the Black Cats.
