Cesc Fàbregas beats Sunderland to £12.5m target as major Pierre Ekwah transfer update emerges – round-up

Sunderland’s summer transfer window continues to gather pace, with movement expected on both incomings and outgoings.

While the focus remains on strengthening Régis Le Bris’ squad ahead of the Premier League campaign, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman is also working to resolve the futures of several players on the fringes.

Here's a look at the latest developments, including updates on Pierre Ekwah, Jobe Bellingham, Charlie Cresswell, and a familiar name now linked with Sunderland’s rivals.

Ekwah closing in on Sunderland exit

Pierre Ekwah appears to be on the verge of leaving Sunderland permanently, with AS Saint-Étienne confirming their intention to take up their option-to-buy clause following the midfielder’s loan spell last season.

The 23-year-old joined the Ligue 1 club last summer in a deal that included a seven-figure loan fee and a purchase clause reported to be worth around £6million. While it was initially thought that Saint-Étienne’s relegation to Ligue 2 would end their pursuit, talks have since progressed positively.

Ekwah is understood to be keen on staying in France, and Sunderland are unlikely to stand in his way. Though it’s unclear if the clause will be triggered in full or renegotiated, the Black Cats will still bank a significant profit from the deal, with West Ham United due a cut via a sell-on clause. The midfielder struggled to break into Régis Le Bris’ plans last pre-season and is not expected to feature in Sunderland’s Premier League squad.

Jobe Bellingham’s Bundesliga wage increase revealed

Fresh details have emerged around Jobe Bellingham’s record-breaking move to Borussia Dortmund, including the scale of his salary increase since leaving the Stadium of Light.

According to BILD, the 19-year-old is earning a base salary of €3million (around £2.57million) per year – or roughly £49,357 per week. That figure could reportedly rise to £82,262 per week with performance-related bonuses, marking a 558% jump from his £12,500 weekly wage at Sunderland.

Bellingham joined Dortmund in a £33million club-record sale earlier this summer following Sunderland’s promotion. The fee, alongside a potential Ekwah windfall, further bolsters the club’s transfer budget ahead of a critical recruitment window.

Former Sunderland target Van Hecke linked with Newcastle

Newcastle United are in talks to sign Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke – a player who was previously on Sunderland’s radar during Alex Neil’s time in charge.

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The 25-year-old Netherlands international has become a key figure at Brighton and is valued at around £30million. He was strongly linked with a move to Sunderland in the summer of 2022 after a standout loan at Blackburn Rovers, but no deal materialised. Van Hecke is now considered one of the Premier League’s best ball-carrying centre-halves and is being pursued by Eddie Howe’s Newcastle as they look to strengthen at the back for the 2025–26 campaign.

Cresswell deal unlikely as Sunderland target nears Serie A switch

Sunderland look set to miss out on reported defensive target Charlie Cresswell, with the Toulouse centre-back closing in on a move to Serie A side Como, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. Cresswell, formerly of Leeds United, had emerged as a player of interest for the Black Cats, with reports describing him as an “ideal target” for the club’s recruitment team.

However, Di Marzio now claims that Como – managed by Cesc Fàbregas – are in advanced talks and are “finalising” a deal worth around £14.5million. Toulouse had reportedly been holding out for £21.4million, while Como initially offered £12.8million. Unless talks collapse, Sunderland will now need to look elsewhere as they continue their search for Premier League-ready defensive reinforcements.

Speakman speaks out on summer plans

While Jobe settles into life in Germany, Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman is already deep into transfer negotiations as the club prepares for its Premier League return. In a recent interview, Speakman offered insight into the club’s summer strategy and revealed that he’s spent the past week travelling across Europe speaking with agents and potential signings.

"From a club's perspective, we're not naive to what the Premier League is," Speakman said. "We understand that our strategy to get here is going to be different to what is required to stay here. Our objective has never just been to get to the Premier League, it's such a landmark and naturally everyone talks about that but internally over the last two, three, four years it's always been about re-establishing ourselves.

“So we need to do now is go on the next part of that journey, and think about establishing ourselves over the next three or four years [at Premier League level] and hopefully build to a point where he can be involved towards the top end of the league which is ultimately where we all want to be.

“We're trying to recruit players for that. I've spent the last three days in three different countries, speaking with players and agents. I landed back here at about 2am last night, so the work behind the scenes is up and running and has been for a number of weeks."

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