Cost £10m: Sunderland made big error signing “awful” dud who earned more than Ballard

As the new round of second-tier matches approaches, Sunderland leads the Championship standings and Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats are optimistic about picking up three more points.

Having to wait an additional day to get back into the swing of things, the Wearside team may very well be temporarily removed from their perch when their match against Hull City begins on Sunday.

 

Despite Daniel Ballard missing a number of games, Sunderland has managed to win some of the best games in the division; when he’s playing at his best, the former Arsenal player is a star player for his team.

Ballard’s time at Sunderland

Because the 25-year-old has missed five of his team’s eight Championship games thus far, Le Bris has had to make snap decisions on his starting lineup for the defense.

Despite Ballard’s unfortunate absence from three games, the Black Cats have managed to record three clean sheets, so the situation hasn’t been too bad.

 

That shouldn’t detract from his significant contribution during the previous two seasons, though, as the commanding center back was entertaining to watch even though the team’s performance wasn’t always at its peak last season, helping himself to an incredible three goals from 43 league games.

According to Capology, the Northern Ireland international earns a substantial £25k each week, which is indicative of his value to the cause.

 

As a result, even if he is currently in and out of the first squad due to injury setbacks, he will undoubtedly continue to be a vital member of his club as they pursue promotion.

Le Bris will just be grateful that he has a long list of dependable defenders at his disposal, since Sunderland has had some awful backs in the past, particularly when they used to regularly spend big money in the Premier League.

 

The big-money signing who earned more than Ballard

Papy Djilobodji, a Chelsea misfit who never quite fit in at Stamford Bridge and made only one game for the Blues before the Black Cats carelessly welcomed him to Wearside, was acquired by Sunderland in 2016 for a pretty reckless £8 million.

The Senegalese jerk would go on to play for Sunderland a catastrophic 24 times in total, 18 of those appearances occurring in the top division during the 2016–17 season, which ultimately resulted in his new employers being relegated. His time in England would not get any better at the Stadium of Light.

 

The Sunderland-wearing defender only managed one clean sheet during his Premier League career, helping the Black Cats surrender a miserable 69 goals overall. Despite this, his salary is very substantial considering how frequently he fails his teammates when things get tough.

whilst playing for the Wearside strugglers, Djilobodji earned a substantial £35k per week, whilst Ballard, who bravely battled well for his team amid their own struggles last season, currently earns £10k less.

 

Surprisingly, the clumsy defender made £22.5k more a week than Jobe Bellingham, who makes £12.5k. The bright 19-year-old is another player Le Bris will be aware can produce moments of brilliance.

During that relegation campaign, football journalist James Hunter even called Djilobodji “awful” due to his consistent poor performances for Sunderland.

For many Sunderland fans, this dark chapter in the club’s history will seem like a lifetime ago. Other noteworthy failures from that era, including Didier Ndong and Wahbi Khazri, also helped themselves to astronomical salaries of £30k and £40k per week, respectively.

 

All told, the Black Cats disaster cost the team around £10 million, even after deducting his wages and £8 million transfer fee.

Unlike players like Djilobodji, the squad at Le Bris’ disposal isn’t solely driven by financial gain; instead, players like Bellingham want to bring Sunderland back to the big leagues after years of neglect.

 

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