Sunderland have confirmed the exit of midfielder Pierre Ekwah
Sunderland have confirmed the departure of midfielder Pierre Ekwah.
As previously reported by The Echo, AS Saint-Etienne triggered their option to buy Ekwah on a permanent basis after the midfielder spent the 2024/25 season on loan there. The deal had not been announced due to uncertainty of Ekwah’s longer-term future, with the French club suffering relegation to Ligue 2.
However, Sunderland have now officially confirmed that he has indeed left the club. It’s believed that Sunderland will secure a fee of around £5 million for Ekwah’s departure, though West Ham United have a significant sell-on fee. The Black Cats paid a nominal fee to sign him in January 2023.
Sunderland’s sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said: “Pierre moved last summer to play regularly and continue his development. He achieved this, and although it was a challenging season for Saint-Étienne, their decision to exercise this option indicates the level of his performances. Pierre joined us without any senior experience – he believed in Sunderland, and we believed in him. We are proud of the role we have played in his career, and he is rightly held in high esteem by our supporters. We all wish him well in the next chapter of his career.”
Sunderland confirm captaincy decision
Sunderland have confirmed that Granit Xhaka will be the club’s captain this season.
Xhaka has previously held the role at both Borussia Mönchengladbach and Arsenal, while he has captained Switzerland since 2020. The 32-year-old became Sunderland’s marquee summer signing when joining from Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer, and had widely been expected to take on the role following his arrival.
Last season the captaincy responsibilities were split between Dan Neil as team captain and Luke O’Nien as club captain, with a leadership group appointed within the dressing room. That will happen again this year, but the club have confirmed that they will appoint the full leadership group after the summer transfer window had closed.
Head coach Régis Le Bris said he had been very impressed with Xhaka’s qualities since arriving, both and off the pitch, and stressed how important a role he will play this season.
“In the Premier League, it will be important to have consistency, maturity, and experience,” Le Bris said.
“Granit brings all these qualities. His behaviour so far has been very impressive, and on the field, you can see that his level is high. Others around him can feel this influence, and his leadership will support the team as we adapt to a different environment and face new challenges and opportunities. Granit’s role will also form part of a new leadership team, which will be finalised following the end of the summer transfer window.”
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