Kristjaan Speakman faces one of his biggest tests yet as he looks to keep hold of Sunderland’s prized assets this summer.
The Black Cats underwhelming 2023-24 campaign could encourage a number of players to leave the Stadium of Light over the next six weeks.
Jack Clarke looks very likely to leave Sunderland in search of Premier League football, while a number of stars have already been the subject of interest across Europe.
Dan Ballard is wanted by Will Still at RC Lens, Galatasaray have reportedly bid for Trai Hume, Anthony Patterson has been linked with a top flight move and Pierre Ekwah has received an offer from Udinese.
Sunderland will be eager to either keep or make a huge profit on their in-demand players, though Ekwah’s future remains unclear after a disappointing season on Wearside.
The Frenchman shone in the early stages of his senior career, but his return from injury in October was followed by some poor form.
Ekwah is now a target for Udinese and it is yet to be seen what Sunderland’s stance is on his situation, however the club have now been urged to ‘cash in’.
Sunderland told to sell Pierre Ekwah to Udinese
Speaking on the We Are Sunderland briefing, journalist Matty Hewitt said: “For me, I think the fact that we are, what, will this be his second full season? It’s tough.
“I like to say on his day he’s great, but for me, I think there were far too many occasions last year where he blew cold rather than hot.
“I do like Ekwah, I think he’s a Rolls-Royce of a midfielder, but it strikes to me now that it might be the time to cash in on somebody like Pierre. But there’s obviously the caveat that you replace him with somebody better.
“That deal will only be viewed as a success if the replacement is an improvement on him.”
Sunderland reportedly signed Ekwah on a free, with a number of clauses inserted that have seen them open their wallet to West Ham over the past 18 months.
The Black Cats don’t need Ekwah – but they do need a defensive midfielder
According to Transfermarkt, the 22-year-old’s market value is around £2.4 million, though Sunderland would surely have to demand over £5m to make his exit worth it.
The Irons are reportedly due a huge 35% chunk of Ekwah’s sale, and while he has disappointed recently, they will still want to make a decent fee if he is to leave.
The West Ham academy product has so far been living off his incredible start to life on Wearside, but it has been around nine months since he was consistently putting on quality performances for the club.
While he is still young and has plenty of time to improve, a lot of fans would probably accept his exit if it meant bringing in some cash and signing a decent replacement.
If Ekwah was comfortable playing in a more defensive role then the club would surely have to keep him, but Sunderland have more depth further up and should consider using the money to bring in a new No.6.