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With weeks to go in the Championship campaign, attention has turned to the looming summer transfer window, with one Sunderland star’s future up in the air.
Sunderland sit fourth in the Championship table, with a play-off place made mathematically certain, ahead of their Good Friday trip to Bristol City this afternoon.
Regis Le Bris’ side have taken the second tier by storm this season, with their midfield trio of Dan Neil, Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg cementing themselves as one of the league’s best despite their average of just 19-years-old.
The Black Cats also have some impressive talent out on loan this term, with Australian international Nectarios Triantis catching attention at Hibernian.
With the summer transfer window looming, another Sunderland loanee has been handed a major update over their footballing future, thrusting his Black Cats future into the unknown.
Sunderland loanee Pierre Ekwah handed major St Etienne transfer update
Central-midfielder Pierre Ekwah has been on loan at Ligue 1 side St Etienne this season, with the French side holding a €7m buy option for the 23-year-old, and has endured a difficult campaign away from Wearside.
Ekwah has made 24 starts this season – scoring once – with his loan outfit staring down the barrel of relegation back to the French second tier.
St Etienne are currently five points adrift from guaranteed safety with five games to go and given Eirik Horneland’s side have won only twice from 13 games since the turn of the year, their relegation looks inevitable.
With three of their next games against three of Ligue 1’s top six, dodging the drop seems an unsurmountable task for the Frenchman and St Etienne.
| Key statistic | Pierre Ekwah |
| Games played | 24 (2,102 minutes) |
| Goals + assists combined | 1 |
| Duels won | 115 |
| Successful passes | 1,124 |
With Ekwah’s loan side looking destined for the drop, while his parent club teammates battle for Premier League promotion through the play-offs, the former West Ham youngster has been handed a major update over his Sunderland, and St Etienne future.
Football journalist Rudy Galetti posted on X this week: “St Etienne will consider triggering the €7m buy option for Ekwah only if they stay in Ligue 1.
“In case of relegation, the central-midfielder is expected to return to Sunderland, though other clubs already made enquiries. For now, Pierre remains fully focused on St Etienne.”
With St Etienne in a precarious position in the French top flight, barring a remarkable turnaround, Ekwah looks set to return to Sunderland this summer rather than making his loan move to St Etienne permanent.
Former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray said of Ekwah last season: “I want him a bit Roy Keane, I want him to be nasty, to put his foot in, and win every tackle because I know he has got everything else.”
Ekwah has been a polarising figure at the Black Cats, with his technical ability and physical prowess hailed by supporters.
Yet, his lack of intensity and tenacity to cope with the English game remains the main stumbling block over his Sunderland future.
Amid the latest transfer update over Ekwah’s probable return to Wearside this summer, with clubs ‘enquiring’ about the midfielder, Sunderland fans’ division on social media over the ex-Chelsea Academy ace mirrored the dilemma Regis Le Bris and his transfer team will have over Ekwah this summer.
Sunderland fans divided over Pierre Ekwah’s St Etienne transfer update
Ekwah’s pre-season displays and EFL Cup showing earlier this season were insufficient to convince Le Bris he was needed.
The Frenchman’s inconsistent output and lack of physicality seen in the Championship, has marred the potential that saw him boss the Black Cats’ 5-0 rout of Southampton early last season in which Ekwah bagged a long-range brace.
These conflicting traits to Ekwah’s game has fuelled the division over his Sunderland future. One Sunderland fan argued: “Id have him back no questions.”
Another agreed: “Will be good to see Ekwah back let’s hope we see that Ekwah that was running the show,”
As another said: “There’s a very good Championship midfielder in Ekwah.”
On the contrary, some Sunderland fans feel Ekwah should be sold this summer. One argued: “Don’t think we’ve missed him. If we can get 7 million euros for him, then I’d jump at that!”
Another said: “He doesn’t have the physicality for the Championship.” as another agreed: “Had a handful of solid games, apart from that he generally just coasted in games. When under the cosh he would disappear really quickly.”
With transfer interest impeding in Neil, Rigg and Bellingham this summer – that will be certain to increase if Le Bris’ side fail to earn promotion in the upcoming play-off campaign – Ekwah’s ability and 56-game Championship experience could prove vital in the search for midfield reinforcements.
However, if the Frenchman fails to ex-boss Mowbray’s advice and meet the midfield demands of Black Cats boss Le Bris, his future will lie away from Sunderland regardless of their league status or outgoings this summer.