Daniel Ballard has agreed a move to Championship side , after a switch to Burnley fell through last week.
The 22-year-old has spent time on loan at Swindon Town and Blackpool before making 31 appearances in the Championship for Millwall last season.
The Northern Ireland international has never made a first team appearance for the Gunners and his stay at the club is close to an end as he prepares to move north.
report that Ballard very nearly joined Burnley a week ago but terms could not be agreed despite significant talks taking place.
The likes of former club Blackpool and Sheffield United were thought to be interested in the defender, but it is newly-promoted Sunderland who have won the race for his signature.
Despite never making the cut for Arsenal, Ballard has proved himself on the international stage, already picking up 15 caps for Northern Ireland and scoring two goals.
Former Northern Ireland defender Gareth McAuley reckoned Ballard was good enough to play in the Arsenal defence last season, especially after the Gunners had made a disappointing start to the season.
‘If I were Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, I’d be recalling Daniel Ballard from his loan spell at Millwall and placing the young Northern Ireland international in my struggling Gunners team,’ he told the Belfast Telegraph in September last year.
‘I know Daniel isn’t Mikel’s type of defender — he probably doesn’t match his philosophy in how he wants the game to be played — but maybe he should be with the way Arsenal have started their season.
‘Daniel just keeps on getting better and better with every game he plays in, especially on the international scene.’
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