Ballard, 23, impressed with his performances for Sunderland last season after he joined from Arsenal and his absence was felt in the playoff semi-finals against Luton Town.
The defender has piqued the interest of clubs in the Premier League, with West Ham interested in signing him this summer.
David Moyes is driving West Ham’s interest in the centre-back as he looks to bring British-based young talents to the London Stadium this summer.
But Sunderland are not interested in selling the young defender and are determined to keep him at the Stadium of Light.
After fighting for promotion last season, Tony Mowbray wants to have a squad capable of doing the same in the upcoming campaign.
Ballard is seen as one of the squad’s key players and Sunderland are in no mood to let him leave.
He has two years left on his contract, with Sunderland having the option of extending it by one more year.
The Black Cats believe they are in a strong position regarding Ballard’s future and do not want to be bullied into selling him to a Premier League club.
