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Sunderland complete €6m deal but miss out on transfer jackpot
Robin Bairner
- 21 Jun 2025 12:45 BST
- 3 min read
News
Sunderland are set to receive €6 million to bolster their squad ahead of their return to the Premier League – but the Black Cats are set to be left frustrated by the transfer operation.
Saint-Etienne are set to take up their option to sign Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah following the season he spent on loan at the club. Although the French side were ultimately relegated from Ligue 1, they have elected to spend €6m making the deal a permanent one.
The 23-year-old, who was under contract at the Stadium of Light until 2027, had been one of their most-used players over the course of the campaign. Despite this, the decision to sign Ekwah appears to be a primarily financial decision, with the former Chelsea and West Ham United midfielder unlikely to remain at Saint-Etienne next season.
Current ETV
Pierre Ekwah
M, DM (C)
Saint-Etienne
Pierre Ekwah
M, DM (C)
Saint-Etienne
ETV Range
€6.4M - €8.6M
Pierre Ekwah jackpot missed
L’Equipe reports that there is substantial interest in the player from numerous clubs around top divisions in Europe, suggesting that he will not play in the French second tier next season.
Indeed, Saint-Etienne have had financial difficulties in recent months and appear likely to turn a quick profit on Ekwah.
This will serve to frustrate Sunderland, who have failed to get maximum value out of the midfield star.
While there is no suggestion the type of fee that Saint-Etienne will earn when Ekwah is sold, the player has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €7.5m. Should he go for something around this price, Sunderland will have missed out on €1.5m – a not inconsiderable sum of money.
With this deal, Ekwah breaks into the top 20 of Sunderland’s biggest sales, slotting in just behind €7m Wahbi Khazri, who also left the Black Cats to join Saint-Etienne in a 2018 transfer.
The Stadium of Light club have also seen Jobe Bellingham and Tom Watson depart this summer to Borussia Dortmund and Brighton respectively, while the only signing they have made is the arrival of Enzo Le Fee from Roma on a permanent basis.
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