Wolves could sign a solid EFL star

The Gary O'Neill era Wolverhampton Wanderers It was finally finished and dusted.

A few days later, a new coach was appointed, and they got off to the perfect start under Vitor Pereira at the weekend, scoring three goals against Leicester City to only make it three. Premier League Victory of the season.

While immediate thoughts will be on the next few league games, the new manager will certainly have his eye on the January transfer window, especially as he can strengthen 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 are looking to make a move for the Championship defender

According to reports received late last week. Wolves pay To secure a deal for Sunderland centre-back Daniel Ballard during the transfer window.

However, they are not alone, with Premier League clubs Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion all showing keen interest in the defender.

Wolves have He conceded 40 goals In just 17 appearances this season in the top flight, it is the worst defensive record in the league, suggesting that a new defender or two will not put a foot wrong in the winter window.

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

Why Dan Ballard would be a good signing for Wolves

Ballard came through Arsenal's youth academy, and went on to make a host of appearances for the Under-18s and Under-21s without ever breaking into the senior set-up.

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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 He played 77 matches For black cats while also He collected 26 caps for Northern Ireland In this process.

praised As a “natural leader” By Michael O'Neill The defender has enjoyed a rich recent run of form for his club, despite missing several matches during the start of the season due to a knee injury.

It's started The previous seven championships Matches for Sunderland, which lost only once in this round, conceding seven goals in those matches.

Not just Ballard Average pass success 89% average in the second tier this season, but the 25-year-old also won 5.3 total duels per game – a 67% success rate – while losing possession just six times per game and making 0.7 tackles per game.

Impressive statistics indeed and this defensive solidity has seen Sunderland move into the play-off places, where they currently sit in fourth place, five points behind leaders Sheffield United.

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

Given the defensive struggles of the club, which also scores the most goals from set-pieces in the division, the defender could be the new manager's first signing.

Perhaps it might be possible to solve their problems at the back and thus keep them in the department. Time will tell.

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