Sunderland: Pierre Ekwah set to leave Stadium of Light as agreement is made | OneFootball

Sunderland have reportedly reached an agreement with Saint-Etienne for the sale of Pierre Ekwah.

Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah has reached an agreement with Saint-Étienne.

According to French outlet, Peuple-Vert.fr, the central-midfielder is set move away from the club.

There was earlier interest in the transfer window from Italian side, Udinese, with the Wearsiders turning down an offer of £4.3m, as per French journalist, Loic Tanzi.

However, the French club appear to have got their man with an agreement reportedly in place between Ekwah and Saint-Étienne, as per Peuple-Vert.fr.

It is now up to the two clubs to agree a fee for the 22-year-old.

Although Ekwah has only been on Wearside for a year and a half, the Frenchman has left his mark on the North East club.

Following his transfer from West Ham United, it took the central-midfielder some time to get used to the frantic pace of the Championship. During his first few games, he appeared to be a bit of a luxury player, and could not match the physicality of his opponents.

However, at the end of the 2022/23 season, the 22-year-old came into his own and produced some eye-catching performances in red and white. Under Tony Mowbray, Ekwah continued to impress and looked slick and stylish at the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

Despite his promise, the Frenchman fell away - much like Sunderland's season. As the club went through several managers, the midfielder never got back to his best and put in some rather inconsistent performances for the remainder of the season.

Following the arrival of Alan Browne, it signalled the end of Ekwah's run in the first team. To make life even more difficult for the 22-year-old, Chris Rigg has continued his meteoric rise in the Black Cats' first team, further pushing Ekwah down the pecking order.

With more arrivals in central-midfield on the horizon, it looks certain that Ekwah will depart before the window closes. Despite his inconsistencies, Ekwah became a fan favourite and will be remembered for his positivity and work in the community.

The Black Cats are braced for arrivals in central-midfieldWith Sunderland set to sign two central-midfielders, it is no surprise that Ekwah has been allowed to leave the Stadium of Light.According to French outlet, Foot Mercato, the Black Cats have reached an agreement for the signing of RC Lens midfielder, Salis Abdul Samed. The deal is understood to be a season-long loan. The central-midfielder is reportedly undergoing a medical ahead of the proposed deal.As well as Abdul Samed, the Wearsiders have also reportedly reached an agreement for the signing of Milan Aleksic from Serbian side FK Radnicki 1923 Kragujevac, as per Mozzart Sport. At 18 years of age, the signing of Aleksic would be one for the future.

With further competition for places, Ekwah's minutes would have been significantly limited, and although he has shown signs of potential, it is probably the right decision to let him leave. Furthermore, Abdul Samed arrives with high praise and looks to be an upgrade on the Frenchman.

Although Ekwah has shown his potential in patches, his departure felt inevitable seeing as he fell down the pecking order at the Stadium of Light.

While some will be sad to see him go, the arrivals of Abdul Samed and Aleksic would further hamper his minutes on the pitch.