Gary Rowett has confirmed Millwall want to keep Dan Ballard beyond his loan transfer and will speak with Arsenal over his future at the end of the season, via quotes by News at Den.
Ballard joined the Lions on a season-long deal last summer as the defender stepped up to the Championship. He had spent the prior campaign in League One helping Blackpool seal promotion via the play-offs, following a heavily disrupted fourth-tier spell with Swindon.
The centre-back immediately gained a key role in Rowett’s backline and started 19 of their opening 20 second-tier fixtures. But a knee injury sustained in December that required an operation kept the 22-year-old out of action until late February only to suffer a groin issue.
Ballard picked up his groin injury on Tuesday night in a goalless draw at Blackburn Rovers. He is now a doubt for the Lions’ clash with Middlesbrough on Saturday, but is not thought to be serious. His injury is a blow for Rowett, as it forced a change of shape at Ewood Park.
Rowett claims Millwall would ‘love to’ keep on-loan Arsenal gem Ballard
Arsenal will welcome Ballard back to north London in the summer once his Millwall loan transfer expires. The Gunners product is yet to make his first-team bow for the Emirates Stadium side. But he spoke earlier in the season about his desire to be a senior regular.
Rowett, however, hopes Ballard will consider at least a second loan transfer from Arsenal to Millwall this summer. The Lions boss is loath to lose the centre-half, and hopes to strike another loan deal, if not agree permanent terms for the Northern Ireland international.
“Those things will be left to the club to do that work,” Rowett said. “For me, Dan’s been out. So, our focus has been on getting him back in and making sure we look after him and that he recovers properly.
“Someone like Dan Ballard, I’ve said it before, we’d love to keep him at the club, whether that’s on loan or whether that’s permanently. But he’s Arsenal’s player, and I’m sure they’ve got a plan for him long-term that’s maybe not the exact one we would hope for.
“We’ll see. We’ll get through to the end of the season and see where we are then.”
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