Credit: Imago

Josh Edwards

Sun 13 July 2025 7:15, UK

Pierre Ekwah is looking highly unlikely to be a Sunderland player next season.

Sunderland‘s pre-season schedule got off to a flyer on Saturday afternoon, with a 4-0 victory away to South Shields, with games coming thick and fast from now until the new campaign gets underway.

However, plenty of focus will remain on the recruitment at the Stadium of Light, with a lot of movement expected over the coming weeks.

Kristjaan Speakman claimed that several more arrivals will be needed at Sunderland, which will come hand in hand with just as many exits, with Ekwah’s edging closer.

Saint-Ettienne set to profit from Ekwah move

Ekwah’s Sunderland career has not gone as planned, though it will prove to be another success in the way that the Black Cats have recruited.

The Ligue 2 outfit are said to have triggered the £5.1million buy clause in his contract after a successful loan last season, which will represent a big profit for Sunderland, who paid a six-figure fee to sign him from West Ham.

However, his stay there could be short, with L’Equipe reporting on 11 July that he could be sold immediately at a profit, with Real Betis one of the sides keen.

Should that deal go through, there is every chance that Ekwah will return to the Stadium of Light as an opposition player when the Black Cats face Betis in a pre-season fixture on 2 August.

Sunderland still have work to do

With six signings through the door at Sunderland, plenty of progress has been made this summer, though there is still a lot to be done.

Several players need to be moved on, while a handful of other areas will need an injection of quality over the next few weeks.

Signing a striker and goalkeeper will be high up on the list of priorities in regard to the latter, with defensive reinforcements also needed.

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