Championship club Millwall are in advanced talks to sign Daniel Ballard on loan this season, according to reports.

Football Insider initially broke the news this weekend that Millwall are leading the race to sign Daniel Ballard on loan, reportedly now closing in on a move.

Charles Watts has since confirmed the story, tweeting that Ballard is edging towards a Millwall move. Though he hasn’t signed a deal yet and he still needs to hold a medical, everything is heading in the direction of a year with Millwall.

Watts and Football.London had previously reported that at least five Championship clubs were interested in Ballard, as well as some clubs overseas.

One of the interested parties was Blackpool, after Ballard spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan with them. They achieved promotion from League One with Ballard’s help, and they were clearly keen to bring him back.

But Arsenal have to make the best decision for the player, rather than for Blackpool. Whilst the Tangerines did have the advantage of a guaranteed starting spot in their side, Millwall might make more sense as they’re an established Championship team.

Ballard is less likely to be in a relegation scrap with Millwall, on top of the fact that they’re fairly local. He can remain in London and in close proximity to his parent club, which is a nice bonus.

It’s not a done deal yet, so we’ll wait on the official confirmation. But it’s another positive step for Ballard, who has now gone from the Arsenal u18s, to the u23s, to League Two, to League One, and now to the Championship, in five consecutive seasons.