Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris could be set to make bold calls over two loanees at the end of the 2024/25 season.
The Black Cats Director of Football Kristjaan Speakman sanctioned several loans at the start of the 2024/25 Championship campaign, with Regis Le Bris making it clear that he wanted to use a slimmed-down squad.
Le Bris put extra emphasis on this in the January transfer window, sanctioning a loan move for Adil Aouchiche to Portsmouth, which was met with a mixed reception by Sunderland fans.
Sunderland’s current crop of loanees consists of Nectarios Triantis, who is shining in the Scottish Premiership with Hibernian, as well as French pair Pierre Ekwah and Timothee Pembele. The latter two were sent out on loan to their native country, plying their trade in Ligue 1.
Both Ekwah and Pembele have been handed game time in the French top flight, but have performed incredibly contrastingly to each other, as one could certainly be a part of Le Bris’ plans next season, whilst another looks to be putting the nails into the coffin of his Sunderland career.
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Regis Le Bris could offer Pierre Ekwah integral Sunderland role after positive loan spell
This season, Sunderland midfielder Ekwah has been plying his trade in Ligue 1 with Saint-Etienne, and has been performing to an incredibly high level.
The 23-year-old Frenchman has tied down his place at defensive-midfield for Eirik Horneland’s newly-promoted Ligue 1 side, and has shone in recent weeks.
Per SofaScore, Ekwah had a brilliant run-out last time out against Stade Rennais, recording an emphatic 96 touches, and making 63 accurate passes. Throughout the season, Ekwah has averaged 17.8 passes in the opposition, and he could be regarded as an upgrade on Salis Abdul Samed as a result, who he is able to replicate in regards to defensive ability, but undoubtedly trumps his teammate when it comes to playing the ball forward.
Ekwah should undoubtedly have a future on Wearside, having shown to have brilliant quality this season in the centre-of-the-park.
Regis Le Bris unlikely to give Timothee Pembele second chance after recent showings
One man that we will unlikely see don the famous red & white shirt again is Pembele, who it’s safe to say hasn’t had a positive loan spell away from Wearside.
His recent game on the 8th February was his first in over a month, having predominantly been an unused substitute for Le Havre throughout January, and his return to the side was far from majestic.
The Sunderland loanee was given just 13 minutes of action in a 2-1 win against Lille, where he managed his task of seeing the game out, but still contributed very little.
Pembele’s lack of game time in recent time is sourced from his poor performance away at Marseille as his side conceded five goals, where he was handed the lowest rating of 5.5 after making one tackle, losing possession seven times and winning one of six duels in the 90 minutes.
The Frenchman looks to have already severed ties with Wearside previously, but his performances are certainly not doing the talking, and there is very little chance that he will be handed a chance at first team football at Sunderland upon his return.