Of Sunderland’s 46 league games during the 2023/24 season their centre-back partnership was the same for 41 of them.
Such was the confidence in Dan Ballard and Luke O’Nien, the Black Cats allowed Danny Batth to leave Wearside last summer, just a few months after he was named the supporters’ player of the season for the 2022/23 campaign. Yet you could argue the decision to sanction Batth’s departure was justified, given Sunderland had the fifth best defensive record in the Championship for the season just gone – even if they appeared to lack experience in a young dressing room.
O’Nien, 29, and Ballard, 24, look set to be Sunderland’s first-choice centre-back pairing again for the upcoming campaign, with two and three years left on their contracts respectively. In Ballard’s case, there has been talk of interest from Premier League clubs, after West Ham were credited with interest a year ago, while newly-promoted Ipswich were linked last month. Still, the Northern Ireland international is in no rush to leave Wearside, where he has settled and received first-team football over the last two years.
With an established defensive partnership, Sunderland may not feel they have to spend money on another centre-back this summer, even if they’ll want competition for places. The club brought in young centre-backs Jenson Seelt and Nectarios Triantis, both 21, a year ago, while Leo Hjelde, who has said he prefers playing in the centre of defence, was bought from Leeds in January.
Still, Seelt’s knee injury he suffered against Southampton in March means the Dutchman is unlikely to play again this calendar year. As for Triantis, the Australian has benefitted from a loan spell at Scottish side Hibernian but has predominantly played as a holding midfielder – where Sunderland are also short of options.
The Black Cats will have more cover at centre-back following Aji Alese’s return from injury, though, as the 23-year-old often played as a central defender for West Ham’s youth team. Alese is set to be an important player for the upcoming campaign, following multiple setbacks over the last year, and could also allow the side to switch to a back three, providing a left-footed option.
