A Sunderland star is being eyed up by three Premier League teams ahead of the January transfer window.
January is just around the corner and whilst Sunderland may look to back whoever their next boss is, there could also be some player exits.
And one player who’s attracted transfer interest already this year, and who is once again making transfer headlines ahead of January, is Pierre Ekwah.
Since joining from West Ham at the start of the year the Frenchman has established himself as a key player in the Sunderland midfield.
It’s now being reported by TEAMtalk that Premier League trio Crystal Palace, Fulham, and Nottingham Forest are all showing a ‘serious interest’ in the 21-year-old.
Not just Jack Clarke, Pierre Ekwah now a man of interest
Many expect Jack Clarke to attract transfer interest in January. But Ekwah could yet be a talking point at Sunderland as well.
Palace, Fulham, and Forest are all interested and TEAMtalk say that the three have a serious interest in Ekwah and could test the Black Cats‘ resolve in January.
The same report also reiterates that West Ham would be due a sell-on fee should Sunderland offload Ekwah, who signed a four-and-a-half year deal at the club in January this year.
Despite experiencing a dip in form this season, Ekwah showed a lot of class under Tony Mowbray, who previously labelled Ekwah as an ‘amazing’ player.
Can Sunderland afford to lose Ekwah in January?
Central midfield is one of the positions that Sunderland have been light on in 2023.
And specifically, Sunderland don’t have too many physical players like Ekwah who can provide a bit of steel in the midfield and compliment the more technical likes of Dan Neil.
So in that sense, Ekwah is a valuable player in the side, and given his potential, he could yet go a long way with Sunderland who may want to hold on to him for a while longer and watch his transfer value increase.
But he’s not in the best vein of form right now and it’s perhaps reminded us that Ekwah is still a very raw player with a lot of room for improvement.
The next boss could have a say on Ekwah’s future though the decision will no doubt be made by the board, with the Sunderland owners surely knowing that they still need to be a selling club to operate efficiently in the Championship.
If a suitable offer comes in then a sale could make sense. But Sunderland would definitely need to find a replacement, especially with Corry Evans yet to make his return to first-team action.