<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4AwbKx_0vDic1dr00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4AwbKx_0vDic1dr00" width="820" height="1093" ></figure>He was at the very heart of one of Sunderland’s best days during an often-troubled 2023/2024 campaign and is undoubtedly a player with huge potential, but with the red and white midfield now looking well stocked and the transfer window heading towards its conclusion, there seems to be a real air of mystery around Pierre Ekwah.Specifically, this concerns exactly what his future might hold if he stays, and what we could potentially be losing if a late deal is struck to take him away from the Stadium of Light.Ekwah’s two-goal, all-action display during last season’s ruthless home victory over Southampton felt like a real breakthrough performance from the midfielder.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=10GVKD_0vDic1dr00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=10GVKD_0vDic1dr00" width="1920" height="1281" >Against Russell Martin’s visitors, he impressed from start to finish, breaking into a beaming smile after scoring two well-taken goals, and providing a memorable quote (‘It’s just like playing in the park with your mates’) when interviewed alongside Jack Clarke at full time. Perhaps it was a reference to the ongoing ‘enjoyment first’ culture that Tony Mowbray had established and that carried us to the brink of the playoff final, but ever since that glorious stroll in the sunshine- almost a year to the day, curiously- it’s often been a struggle for Ekwah.He was soon laid up by what can only be described as the world’s longest-lasting dead leg, and when he did eventually return to the team, something had seemingly disappeared, despite one or two flashes of promise as the season turned increasingly sour and the Saints game faded into the rear view mirror.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4PmnI7_0vDic1dr00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4PmnI7_0vDic1dr00" width="1167" height="1750" >Three games into the new season, a strange reversal of fortune has taken place. We’ve made an impressive start and have performed very well in all three league games so far, but it’s been achieved without the former West Ham prospect, who’s not had much of a look in. To fuel the speculation even more, rumours of Sunderland striking a loan deal for Lens’ Ghanian midfielder Salis Abdul Samed first emerged on Wednesday, and this development would in theory pave the way for Ekwah’s exit.Whether Ekwah is a ‘Régis Le Bris player’ is very much up in the air, and considering the relentlessness with which the likes of Jobe, Chris Rigg, Dan Neil and Alan Browne have ripped into the first three games as part of a new and high-octane pressing style, his slightly languid, ‘turn-it-on, turn-it-off’ approach (something that often frustrated Mowbray despite his support for Ekwah) now feels like the kind of thing that Le Bris wouldn’t call on unless it was absolutely necessary.I like Ekwah a lot. His enthusiasm is infectious and I firmly believe that in the right team and in the right system, he could be a real asset. Additionally, I felt he showed tremendous strength of character to recover from the concession of a penalty against Hull City and play an ever-more important role towards the end of the 2022/2023 season. Allowing him to move on during this window would also rob us of a player who provides depth in what could easily be a troublesome position, and I do believe that he could play a part for us as the season unfolds.On the other hand, Le Bris is clearly not here to mess about. He’s here to rebuild the confidence and form of the squad, to implement a style of football that can yield results, and to try and turbo charge Sunderland’s recovery and Championship competitiveness in the process. <img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4CghPx_0vDic1dr00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4CghPx_0vDic1dr00" width="960" height="1305" >With that in mind, what’s abundantly clear, even at this early stage, is that players who don’t hit a minimum standard of performance will find themselves on the fringes- if not out of the picture altogether. It’s a ruthless, shock therapy-type of approach but one that, on balance, is certainly needed after the shambolic ending to 2023/2024. Ekwah, like many of his teammates, faces a potentially crucial decision regarding his immediate future.Barring a dramatic announcement in the next thirty six hours that confirms the departures of around six or seven players, either on loan or permanent deals, I do worry that we’re going to end up with an overloaded and somewhat unbalanced squad when the transfer window closes. Ideally, the likes of Ekwah would’ve already been given some clarity regarding their future, and I’m not so sure that it’s good for morale to leave them in a state of limbo, but whatever the future holds for the midfielder, I hope the decision is taken with his own best interests in mind.If a Stadium of Light exit is determined to be the best course of action, I really do hope that he ends up at a club where backing from his coaches, ample game time and the freedom to play his natural game are both on offer. That’s the least he’s owed.</div></body>

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What’s going on with Pierre Ekwah?

He was at the very heart of one of Sunderland’s best days during an often-troubled 2023/2024 campaign and is undoubtedly a player with huge potential, but with the red and white midfield now looking well stocked and the transfer window heading towards its conclusion, there seems to be a real air of mystery around Pierre Ekwah.

What’s going on with Pierre Ekwah?

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