Arsenal have reportedly held talks with youngster Daniel Ballard and seem to have reached a mutual agreement over his future.
The Northern Ireland international has been out on loan at Championship side Millwall this season and has previously been highly regarded at the Emirates Stadium.
Speaking to CaughtOffside earlier in the season, Arsenal coach Ken Gillard named Ballard as a player to watch out for in the future after working with him at academy level and witnessing his improvement whilst being out on loan.
“Danny Ballard, touch wood, he’s progressed fantastically well,” Gillard said. “His journey and his success is all down to him.
“He’s had setbacks along the way but he’s so robust, whether that’s injuries or almost being released. He was at Blackpool last season and he had a great experience in getting promoted. They wanted him back but there were a lot of Championship clubs interested in him, so he’s gone to Millwall and he’s played almost every minute for them.
“Then along comes the international break and he’s playing for the senior Northern Ireland national team as well. The resilience he’s shown goes back to those values – humility, discipline and respect – he has those in abundance.”
Still, according to Goal, Ballard now seems likely to be on his way out of Arsenal this summer.
The report states that there is plenty of interest in the 22-year-old, but that the Gunners would likely want to have a buy-back clause as part of any deal.
