Sunderland: Pierre Ekwah boost revealed amid Udinese interest | OneFootball

The Black Cats are under no pressure to sell Ekwah at this point, despite interest in his signature.

Sunderland are under no pressure to sell Pierre Ekwah despite the interest he is attracting.

That's according to the Sunderland Echo, who have also reported that West Ham United would receive 35% of the profit made from a future sale of Ekwah.

The midfielder has been a real asset for the Black Cats since his move from the Irons during the 2023 winter window, with the player joining permanently and becoming a first-team asset not too long after he arrived.

Considering he failed to make a single senior appearance for West Ham during his time at the London Stadium, he did a remarkable job to make the step up to the first team so quickly, with his performances allowing him to attract interest from Premier League teams.

An English top-tier team hasn't been able to get a deal over the line for him, although that isn't a major surprise, considering the player still has three years left on his contract at the Stadium of Light.

His contract situation means the Wearside club are in a very strong negotiating position - and with the Black Cats under no pressure to sell him - any club that wants to recruit him will need to cough up a considerable amount of money to lure him away from the Championship side.

It has also been noted by the Sunderland Echo that the Irons' sell-on clause would only raise his price tag further, with the Black Cats likely to be as keen as possible to secure a sizeable profit on him.

They already look set to do that, having paid a nominal fee to recruit him.

Udinese launch offer for Pierre Ekwah

According to Fabrizio Romano, Serie A club Udinese have launched a bid for the midfielder, who could potentially be keen on a move to the Italian outfit considering their stature.

He reportedly features high up on the club's shortlist and with this in mind, it comes as no shock that an offer has been made.

In terms of the latest news on this situation, negotiations are ongoing at this point, for a player who has shone since his switch to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland have some big player decisions to make this summer

There are plenty of players that the Black Cats may have to take decisions on.

Ekwah, with his contract situation in mind, is one player who they could potentially be able to retain.

He has been a key player for much of his time on Wearside, so it would be a big boost for Regis Le Bris if he was retained.

Anthony Patterson and Trai Hume are two other players who would benefit the Black Cats next time if they were retained, but every player has their price and it will be interesting to see if the pair stay put or not.

One key player who looks the most likely to exit the club is Jack Clarke, who only has two years left on his deal and could attract plenty of bids, having enjoyed an excellent 2023/24 campaign.