Ex-manager urges club to sign 'intelligent' Sunderland loanee on permanent deal this summer

Former AS Saint-Etienne boss Olivier Dall'Oglio has urged his old club to complete a permanent deal for Sunderland loanee Pierre Ekwah this summer.

The 60-year-old was in charge of the French outfit when Ekwah made his move from Wearside at the beginning of the season, but was relieved of his duties in mid-December after a poor run of form.

Since them, ASSE have appointed Eirik Horneland in the dugout, but still find themselves embroiled in a battle for survival at the foot of Ligue 1. If they can find a way of beating the drop, however, Dall'Oglio is of the opinion that the club should make an effort to sign Ekwah on a full-time basis over the coming months.

What did Olivier Dall'Oglio say about Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah?

Speaking to DAZN, as relayed by Foot Sur 7, Dall’Oglio suggested that he would like to see ASSE complete a deal for Ekwah, adding: "Pierre is a young player I knew well at AS Saint-Etienne. He plays a very important role in front of the defence. With me, he was often responsible for dropping back into the defensive line. He did it well, he's a disciplined, intelligent boy with good technique.

"He has real room for improvement. He needs to become even more of a leader, speak up more, and be more forceful. It's not necessarily in his nature, but in this position, he needs to guide, direct, and lead.”

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What is Pierre Ekwah’s current situation?

In a recent update, journalist Rudy Galetti suggested that Saint-Etienne could indeed be tempted to sign Ekwah this summer, but much will depend on which division the club finds itself in come the end of the campaign.

Writing on X, the reporter stated that ASSE have the option of buying the 23-year-old for a fee of around £6 million, but will only seek to exercise it if they can retain their top flight status over the coming weeks.

He said: “Saint-Etienne will consider triggering the €7m [£6m] buy option for Ekwah only it they stay in Ligue 1. In case of relegation, the CM is expected to return to Sunderland, though other clubs already made enquiries. For now, Pierre remains fully focused on ASSE.” At this stage, it is not clear as to which other clubs have supposedly enquired about Ekwah’s potential availability.

What has Pierre Ekwah said about the possibility of leaving Sunderland this summer?

Speaking in an interview with Foot-Sur 7 at the back end of February, Ekwah said: “The main thing is to get out of this complicated situation [relegation] and ensure the maintenance of the club. My goal is to raise my level of play, perform better and better serve the team. My personal case, I really put it aside.”

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