Sunderland have made some fantastic decisions in the transfer market over the last couple of years, but they’ve also made some big mistakes, too.
Shrewd signings like the £1.5m acquisition of Jobe Bellingham have earned Sunderland high praise, especially considering that particular player has turned into a superstar worth 20 times as much now.
The Mackems have also sold wisely of late, with the £20m departure of Jack Clarke now looking like a decent bit of business on Sunderland’s behalf.
But, there is one Sunderland player out on loan right now who has impressed so much that people can’t believe he’s been allowed to leave at all.
Sunderland lambasted for allowing Pierre Ekwah leave
In an interesting interaction over on Twitter/X, one Tottenham Hotspur fan asked European football expert and The Athletic journalist Alex Barker if he could recommend any midfielders who can play the number six role that would be suitable for a move to North London.
Barker replied, “May be too rogue, but Pierre Ekwah at Saint Etienne is excellent.”
Hours later, Barker returned to the conversation to express his bewilderment at the fact that Ekwah was in fact a Sunderland player.
He added: “Wait, I just learned Pierre Ekwah is owned by Sunderland and only on loan at Saint Etienne with an option to buy – Sunderland, why the hell did you let this guy leave?”
Saint Etienne have been poor this season on the whole, and Ekwah has even been criticised lately, but he’s clearly doing something right if he’s being suggested as a potential Tottenham target.
Does Pierre Ekwah have a future at Sunderland?
Earlier in the season, Ekwah was set for a permanent move to Saint Etienne, but that was put on hold when his former manager, Olivier Dall’Oglio, was sacked.
Sunderland fans are intrigued, and some want Ekwah to return to Wearside to see what he can offer.
| Statistics | Pierre Ekwah (2024/25) |
| Appearances | 20 |
| Pass success | 88% |
| Progressive passes per 90 | 4.78 |
| Tackles and interceptions per 90 | 3.42 |
| Goals | 1 |
Transfer expert Graeme Bailey told us Ekwah isn’t part of Le Bris’ plans at this point, while a move to Saint Etienne can still happen if the club and the player want to pursue that, given their option-to-buy clause.
However, we’ve a feeling Ekwah will be given a chance at Sunderland again next season, especially if certain players move on in the summer and opportunities open up in the squad. A lot will depend on which league the Black Cats are playing in next season, of course.