'It’s weird' - Pierre Ekwah delivers return to Sunderland verdict amid £6m St Etienne transfer option
The Sunderland midfielder appears to have made his mind up judging by these comments...
Sunderland loanee Pierre Ekwah has spoken about potentially returning to Sunderland next summer - with his head seemingly set on remaining in France.
The French midfielder left the Stadium of Light in a deadline day loan deal last summer, and has since established himself as a regular fixture of his new club’s starting line-up. The 22-tear-old has played 10 times in Ligue 1 so far this season.
St Etienne have the option to make the deal permanent next summer for a fee reported in the French media to be in the region of £6 million, while The Echo understands there is also a seven-figure loan fee attached to the deal. Ekwah, however, has stated that he feels like he belongs in France.
“It’s weird. I feel like I belong to Saint-Etienne. In my head, I’m not on loan,” Ekwah told Le Progres. “But, when I’m asked the question, I have to answer that I’m on loan. I’m between two clubs.
“Will I stay? I can’t give an answer. In my mind, the question of staying is on the table. We’ll see. There, we are talking about [the feeling of] belonging. I belong to two clubs. The players and the staff never made me feel like I was on loan. When I arrived, I said to myself; ‘I’m here for a long time.”
At the time of the loan move, Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said the 22-year-old was keen on the move and that the club would revisit the situation next summer.
Speakman said: “Following Pierre’s arrival at Sunderland, he has developed from an Under-21 player to become a Championship midfielder, and we are proud of the role we have played in his progression. The midfield is an incredibly competitive area in our squad and this agreement represents a positive outcome for the Club and Pierre, who expressed his desire to take this opportunity and challenge himself in Ligue 1. We wish him well and look forward to revisiting his situation next summer.”
Ekwah allowed Sunderland to move to secure the arrivals of Samis Abdul Samed and Milan Aleksic on deadline day.