SUNDERLAND are close to settling on agreements for two fringe midfielders, Pierre Ekwah and Milan Aleksic, who are both expected to depart the Stadium of Light this summer.
Ekwah is due to join St Etienne on a permanent basis after spending last season on loan at the French club, while Aleksic is about to complete a season-long loan move to Serbian club Partizan Belgrade.
When Ekwah left Wearside last summer, a condition for a permanent move was added to his loan agreement, although it was first claimed that St Etienne would be unable to take it up due to their relegation from Ligue 1 last season.
Sunderland got a loan fee of roughly £1 million, with French media suggesting a potential £6 million transfer this summer.
St Etienne are unlikely to be able to afford that as an upfront fee following their relegation to the second tier, but with Regis Le Bris adamant that Ekwah has no future at the Stadium of Light, the Black Cats hierarchy are said to be willing to discuss a possible compromise deal.
An first round of negotiations has taken place, with St Etienne manager Eirik Horneland adamant about keeping Ekwah in the squad. “I would also like to exercise the option to buy Pierre,” Horneland is alleged to have remarked in the French media.
West Ham United is entitled to a portion of any money as part of the contract that saw Ekwah join Sunderland from the Hammers’ academy ranks in January 2023, but the Black Cats are still expected to make a significant profit for a player who last played a league game for them in May 2024.
Aleksic, who joined Sunderland from FC Radnicki last August, has similarly battled to establish himself in the first squad, but the Black Cats are not yet ready to give up on the 19-year-old.
Le Bris believes Aleksic is not ready for Premier League play next season, but while Sunderland has received expressions of interest in a permanent contract for the teenager, they would like to send him out on loan next season to see how he progresses.
Partizan Belgrade has given Aleksic a route back to his country, and a loan agreement is said to be on the verge of being finalized. Partizan hopes to finalize the trade soon, as their season begins on July 10 with a Europa League qualifier against AEK Larnaca.
Leave a Reply