Arsenal centre back Dan Ballard not Burnley-bound as Vincent Kompany looks to secure first signing

The 22-year-old Northern Ireland international, who has impressed on loan over the last two seasons with Blackpool in League One, and then Millwall in the Championship, was thought to be close to agreeing a move to Turf Moor on Thursday.

A £2m deal was believed to have been struck, with the Gunners wanting a sell-on clause, and a matching sale clause, should Arsenal want to buy the player back down the line.

However, amid reports Burnley have since pulled out of a deal, I understand the club had not agreed anything with Arsenal or the player.

There are also suggestions Ballard failed a medical, but I am told he hadn’t undergone one with the club.

Burnley have since been linked with a fresh offer for Oxford United centre back Luke McNally, with reports the club have agreed a fee of £1.6m for the 22-year-old, who has two years remaining on his contract at the Kassam Stadium.

However, again, while he is thought to be a player of interest, I understand nothing has yet been agreed for McNally.

The Clarets are keen to bring in fresh options at centre back, with captain Ben Mee and James Tarkowski leaving at the end of their contracts, but a loan move for Manchester City’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis – the England Under 21 skipper – remains likely, while the club are also thought to be close to landing another City defender CJ Egan-Riley, for a fee potentially up to £750,000.

Egan-Riley is primarily a centre back, who can play at right back and holding midfield.

Kompany said on Friday at his first press conference: "I can tell you we're close to bringing in a few players, but until the medicals have been finalised and contracts signed, there's nobody we're bringing in officially today, I think, but in general we're close to players and we're set up a few medicals, and hopefully in the next 24-48 hours we can start making the first announcements.”