Wolves could sign rock solid EFL star

The Gary O’Neil era at Wolverhampton Wanderers is done and dusted, at long last.

Hiring a new manager just a few days after, they got off to the perfect start under Vitor Pereira at the weekend, scoring three goals against Leicester City to secure just their third Premier League victory of the season.

While immediate thoughts will be on the next few league games, the new manager will surely have one eye on the January transfer window, especially as he could bolster his squad by signing a few players.

With this in mind, the Old Gold have been linked with a couple of players, including a Championship defender…

Wolves eyeing move for Championship defender

According to reports from late last week, Wolves are pushing to secure a deal for Sunderland centre-back Daniel Ballard during the transfer window.

They are not alone, however, as Premier League sides Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion are all showing plenty of interest in the defender.

Wolves have conceded 40 goals in just 17 games this term in the top flight, which is the worst defensive record in the league, suggesting that a new defender or two wouldn’t go amiss in the winter window.

Could this see Pereira turning to the Sunderland titan next month as someone who could help shore things up?

Why Dan Ballard would be a good signing for Wolves

Ballard came through the youth academy at Arsenal, going on to make a host of appearances for the U18s and U21s without ever breaking into the senior setup.

Loan spells at Swindon Town, Blackpool and Millwall allowed him to gain plenty of first-team experience before he joined Sunderland on a permanent basis in the summer of 2022.

Two and a half years later, Ballard has made 77 appearances for the Black Cats while also accumulating 26 caps for Northern Ireland in the process.

Hailed as a “natural leader” by Michael O’Neil, the defender has enjoyed a rich vein of form recently for his club, despite missing several games during the start of the season due to a knee injury.

He has started the previous seven Championship games for Sunderland, who have lost just once in that run, conceding seven goals in those games.

Not only has Ballard averaged an 89% pass success rate in the second tier this term, but the 25-year-old has also won 5.3 total duels per game – a success rate of 67% – while losing possession just six times per match and making 0.7 tackles each game.

Impressive statistics indeed and this defensive solidity has seen Sunderland move into the playoff spots, as they currently sit in fourth spot, five points behind leaders Sheffield United.

If he can continue to impress over the coming weeks, Pereira will surely be keeping an eye on him, which could see the Old Gold make an approach once the January window opens.

Given the club’s defensive struggles, also shipping the highest number of set-piece goals in the division, the defender could be a dream first signing for the new manager.

Perhaps it might be one to fix their issues at the back and consequently keep them in the division. Time will tell.