Sunderland must renew Leeds United interest amid Dan Ballard exit talk: View | OneFootball

Highlights

Sunderland have had a turbulent season so far, moving on to their third manager of the season last week.

They started the season with Tony Mowbray in charge but he was sacked in December - having won just two of his final nine league games.

His replacement was former QPR and Rangers manager Michael Beale but his tenure was cut short after just 12 games, after six defeats including a 3-0 loss to bitter rivals Newcastle United in the FA Cup.

Mike Dodds has now been appointed interim manager until the end of the season and started his reign with a 2-1 defeat at home to Swansea City last weekend.

The Black Cats have a bright young squad, the best of whom have been linked with a move away ahead of the summer, including Dan Ballard.

With that in mind, replacements will need to be sourced. One player Sunderland should look at if Ballard leaves is Charlie Cresswell.

Everton reportedly interest in Dan Ballard as Jarrad Branthwaite replacement

Ballard has been at the Stadium of Light since 2022, joining from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee.

The defender had cut his teeth with three EFL loans. His first was a short loan with Swindon Town in League Two, and his second was the 20/21 season with Blackpool in League One, which ended in promotion to the Championship via the play-offs.

He then spent the 21/22 campaign in the Championship with Millwall and became a regular starter. This led to his move to Sunderland, where he has become a mainstay in the side.

It was reported at the end of last week that Ballard had attracted interest from Premier League side Everton, who are said to have been watching him since the end of last season.

They see him as a potential replacement for Jarrad Branthwaite, who has been starring at the back for the Toffees and is expected to be on the radar of bigger clubs in the summer.

Black Cats should reignite interest in Leeds United's Charlie Cresswell

If Ballard does leave in the summer, Sunderland should look again at Cresswell.

The Leeds United centre-back was of reported interest to the Black Cats in January.

Cresswell has been limited to just five league appearances, playing just seven minutes of league football since the start of October.

Due to this, he had been of heavy interest in the January window to plenty of other Championship sides, but a move never materialised.

Cresswell would have hoped to have played more football, having signed a new contract in the summer, until 2027.

But he is too good to be a benchwarmer, especially in the Championship.

He spent last season on loan at Millwall, in what was a successful move for all involved. He made 28 league appearances for Millwall, including four goals, as the Lions missed out on the play-offs by just a point.

But his stats show just how good he was at the back. He won 69% of his tackles, and also making 6.49 recoveries per 90 are just a few of his key stats from that season.

Cresswell clearly showed in his spell at Millwall that he is ready for regular Championship football, something which he is not getting at Leeds.

With the Whites pressing for promotion to the top flight, you do feel the defender could be available in the summer and if Ballard leaves, he would be a great replacement for the Black Cats.