Sunderland would gain more than just cash if Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest target is sold: View | OneFootball

Highlights

Yet another Sunderland player is attracting Premier League attention after impressing at the Stadium of Light.

Pierre Ekwah could be heading back to a top-flight club in English football, as TEAMtalk have said that three Premier League clubs are interested in signing the French midfielder; Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, and Fulham.

If any move were to be completed, this would not be the first time that Ekwah had been under contract at a Premier League club.

He joined the Black Cats from West Ham in last season's January transfer window, for an undisclosed fee. He joined the Hammers from Chelsea in 2021. Upon joining Sunderland, he signed a contract that ties him down until the summer of 2027.

The 21-year-old's first half-season with the club didn't come with a shining role. He started just five of the 14 games that he featured in. His impact wasn't immediate, but the same can be said for many of Sunderland's signings.

They buy young players, and they don't have the experience to call on to allow them to adapt and fit into a new situation immediately. Trai Hume, who could also leave in January amid CHampionship and Premier League interest, didn't hit the ground running either.

The current campaign is where he has really shown his worth, though.

Ekwah has already started in more games than he played in the Championship last season. His most notable outing was the brace that he got against Southampton in the 5-0 demolition at home. The 2023/24 campaign has allowed him to display why he was in the academy systems of both Chelsea and West Ham, and that should serve as a positive for any players who might be joining Sunderland in the near future.

Selling Pierre Ekwah might not be all bad for Sunderland

With the prices that the club have been quoting for some of their other young, regular starters, it'd be a safe guess to say that they'd ask for an eight-figure transfer fee to allow Ekwah to leave for good. West Ham reportedly have a sizeable sell-on percentage for any money that Sunderland make from the Frenchman, which will drive his price up even more.

So, unless they all of a sudden decide to start making poor decisions when offloading their talent, they will profit substantially from the youngster. But what his potential sale would do is send a message to those younger players who are being scouted by the Black Cats.

Ekwah is a great example of how you can go from being in the under-21s at a top club to a first team player in the Premier League in double quick time. Even if a sale of him were to go through after the end of this season, that'd still show that you can go right to the very top, via Sunderland, in less than two years.

Professional athletes don't have a very long playing career. They need to maximise those 10-15 years as much as possible, because they go quickly. Ekwah's time in the north-east proves that the Stadium of Light is a great place to go if you're a young prospect, and you want to make the most of your playing days.