Liverpool boss Arne Slotplaceholder image
Liverpool boss Arne Slot | Getty Images
Liverpool have the opportunity to bring in some new faces before the end of the January transfer window
Liverpool are back in action on Monday night with an FA Cup third round tie against Barnsley. They head into that game off the back of their 0-0 draw away at Arsenal last time out in the Premier League. Neither team were able to find a breakthrough at the Emirates Stadium and the spoils were shared.
Arne Slot’s side are sat in 4th place in the table after 21 fixtures. They are inside the top four along with Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa. The Reds are two points above Brentford in 5th.
Liverpool should target Dan Ballard at Sunderland
Liverpool full-back Conor Bradley knows Sunderland defender Dan Ballard well from playing for Northern Ireland with him. The Reds should try and reunite the pair at Anfield before the end of the transfer window and launch a swoop for the Black Cats star. They have until the end of the month to complete any incoming or outgoing bits of business.
Ballard, 26, has adapted well to life in the top flight with his current club so far. He helped them gain promotion from the Championship last year after they beat Sheffield United in the play-off final at Wembley. The Stevenage-born man is under contract at the Stadium of Light until June 2028.
Sunderland could face a battle to keep hold of him in the future with the way things are going and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see other teams start to sniff around him. He joined Sunderland back in 2022 and has since made 104 appearances in all competitions, 16 of which have come this season. The centre-back has chipped in with eight goals from the back.
Why Sunderland star Dan Ballard would be ideal for Liverpool
Ballard would give Liverpool more competition and depth at the back. If he joined, he would battle it out with Virgil van Dijk for a place in their starting XI. He could be an ideal long-term replacement for Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract in June and is due to become a free agent as things stand.
Sunderland's director of football Florent Ghisolfi has recently said: "I can go to the market for all of them but I cannot find a Ballard. He is Sunderland - hard work, resilience, talent. I can look in Argentina and other markets, but I cannot find a Ballard."
Meanwhile, ex-striker Chris Sutton said: "I can't say I saw too much of him in the Championship, but maybe because of the players they brought in to play alongside him, Le Bris saw him as a good squad player - but he has had his opportunity and he has taken it."
Ballard rose up through the academy at Arsenal and was a regular for the Gunners at various different youth levels as a youngster. He never played for the first-team though. Instead, he was loaned out to the likes of Swindon Town, Blackpool and Millwall to get some experience under his belt.
Sunderland have provided him with a permanent home over the past few years and he has grasped his opportunity with the Black Cats. He is coming into his prime now and would be ideal for Liverpool if they opted to launch a move for him. Transfermarkt value him at just £14million but his price tag is likely to be more than that now.
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