Sunderland wasted a lot of money when they signed this flop.
Sunderland picked up their second Championship win in 10 games away at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, defeating Carlos Corberan’s side 1-0.
The Wearsiders put on a rock-solid defensive performance at the Hawthorns, limiting the Baggies to an xG of only 0.28, with Daniel Ballard dominating in a centre-back trio alongside Trai Hume and Luke O’Nien, winning eight duels.
Pierre Ekwah’s winner, however, stole the headlines, with the ex-West Ham United youth player sending a shot into Alex Palmer’s net in first-half stoppage time to claim the three points.
One former Black Cats player who could play as both a holding midfielder like Ekwah and a warrior in the heart of defence like Ballard faltered after a significant move to England, spending more time in the Stadium of Light treatment room than on the pitch.
Jan Kirchhoff’s arrival to Sunderland in 2016 was considered as a big coup, with the 6 foot 5 colossus leaving German giants Bayern Munich to play for the then-Premier League outfit.
Unfortunately for the towering German, his tenure with the Black Cats is now regarded as a transfer blunder, with persistent physical problems haunting his stay in England.
Kirchhoff only made 23 appearances for Sunderland over two stop-start seasons, and his salary burned a huge hole in the Wearside club’s pocket as a result.
The former Bayern Munich player would even make twice as much as Ballard now earns, despite the fact that the Black Cats defender has impressed despite his team’s recent failures.
Kirchhoff would earn a tidy £30,000 a week throughout his injury-ridden stint with Sunderland, costing the club a staggering £3.1 million in wage expenditures alone, despite being a consistent fixture in the club’s treatment room.
Ballard, who has made 63 appearances in a comparable time frame since leaving Arsenal, currently earns £15k less per week in the Sunderland camp.
Other significant first-teamers under Dodds have had their pay packets dwindle in comparison to Kirchhoff’s exorbitant salary, with Ekwah earning under £3k per week being a notable example.
Kirchhoff’s exorbitant £30,000 per week income would propel him to the top of Dodds’ high earners list, surpassing Jack Clarke in the process.
Sunderland will be facing the same misery they had with Kirchhoff in Bradley Dack, who costs the second-tier side £15k per week despite only making three appearances this year due to frequent injury setbacks.
Ballard will want to perform as well as he did against West Brom in Sunderland’s final three Championship games, potentially earning a wage increase in the summer if he plays his cards correctly and is kept at the Stadium of Light for longer.
