Sunderland look likely to offload Pierre Ekwah this week.
The Black Cats have added Alan Browne to their midfield, while Jobe Bellingham, Dan Neil and Chris Rigg have all made impressive starts the campaign.
Sunderland’s strength in the middle of the park has left Ekwah in the fringes, having disappointed during the 2023/24 season.
The midfielder has been an unused substitute in all three Championship outings so far, and Udinese and Saint-Etienne have looked to rescue him from Wearside.
It is believed Sunderland will demand up to £6m for Ekwah, while it now looks like they are already preparing a replacement for the 22-year-old.
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Sunderland target loan deal for Pierre Ekwah replacement
According to L’Equipe, Sunderland have opened negotiations with Lens over a loan deal for Salis Abdul Samed.
The 24-year-old joined the Ligue 1 club for £4.2m back in 2022 and was named as Get Football News France’s ‘central midfielder of the year’ in his first campaign.
The Ghana international has also racked up eight appearances in the Champions League and Europa League for Lens.
His stellar first season led to interest from Aston Villa, who TEAMtalk claimed were planning to sign him in January if Douglas Luiz joined Arsenal.
Samed hasn’t made an appearance this season though and could be on his way out, while L’Equipe’s report claims Sunderland could beat both Brest and Nantes to the signing.
The Black Cats need a No. 6 – but where would he fit in?
Samed is very much a defensive midfielder and, while he could replace Ekwah, he is likely to take up the No. 6 role that his predecessor struggled to establish.
The Lens ace sounds like an excellent signing for the Black Cats, having made such a positive impact in the early stages of his time in Ligue 1 – even helping them finish just a point behind champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Samed would undoubtedly strengthen the midfield, but it would be interesting if he opts to move to the Stadium of Light without being guaranteed regular first-team football.
Regis Le Bris may like him from his time in France, but it is difficult to see who would get dropped from the current crop.
Dan Neil’s red card was definitely a silly mistake, but other than that, they have all been fairly spotless in a brilliant start to the season.
It will be a relief to finally have a proper No. 6 though, as while Neil does a good job there, he can also excel when driving forward and spraying passes up the pitch.