Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris didn’t consider Pierre Ekwah for the league fixtures at the start of this season.
On deadline day, the Black Cats allowed the midfielder to join Saint-Étienne on a loan deal with an option to buy.
The Sunderland man played the full 90 minutes in the last two league games for the Ligue 1 side.
Saint-Étienne manager Olivier Dall’Oglio has deployed the 22-year-old as a defensive midfielder, with Aïmen Moueffek and Mathis Amougou ahead of him.
Envertetcontretous, a website dedicated its coverage to Saint-Étienne, has relayed quotes from Moueffek. He’s of the belief the Frenchman’s signing has helped bring balance to his side’s midfield.
“Whether it’s with Mathis or Pierre, in the middle we are really complementary,” he said.
“The profiles are all different, Pierre for example is more defensive, Mathis more offensive and I am a bit of a mix of the two. The three go well together, it’s good for the team to have players who go well together and who are complementary.”
Ekwah joined Sunderland from West Ham United in January 2023 and featured regularly [60 matches in all competitions] until the end of last season. He suffered an injury during the pre-season.
Earlier this month, Le Bris revealed Ekwah’s setback forced him to look at other options in the midfield at the start of the season. This saw the Frenchman join Saint-Étienne on a temporary deal.
The 23-year-old Moroccan has now explained how the Sunderland owned player’s arrival has benefited him.
“Pierre has relieved us, already because he’s as good a person off the pitch as he’s on the pitch, but also because his defensive strength is a major asset for the team. In addition to that, he has real quality to his game,” Moueffek explained.
“With him, I feel freer, I know that I can go up and move out of the zone because he will be there behind to cover me if something bad happens like a counter or a loss of the ball. With him, I play more naturally and more freely. He integrated easily, there is chemistry with the whole dressing room, he was well received.”
