Sunderland will be tempted to get rid of this underperformer in the summer.
Sheffield Wednesday fans celebrated their team’s miraculous escape from relegation at the Stadium of Light, but most Sunderland supporters had already left after a disappointing final day loss.
Danny Rohl’s team easily defeated the visiting Owls 2-0, leaving the majority of the stadium empty at the end of the Championship match.
Sunderland lacked motivation to challenge Wednesday for a crucial three points, resulting in a rare win with only three shots on target out of 18 attempts, ending a disappointing season.
Sunderland’s midfielder, who was rumoured for a move to the Premier League in January, may be allowed to leave due to poor performance in recent weeks.
Pierre Ekwah’s performance versus Sheffield Wednesday
Crystal Palace and Fulham were previously interested in Pierre Ekwah, but his lacklustre performance against Wednesday may cause them to reconsider.
Caught ball-watching for the Owls’ opener at the Stadium of Light, with Barry Bannan given far too much freedom on the ball by Ekwah to then pick out Liam Palmer to score, Wednesday had so much fun against the Black Cats by simply displaying more energy venturing forward through the middle of the park.
The former West Ham United youngster struggled to keep up with the visitors, with only one shot on James Beadle’s goal and two weak tackles to disrupt the flow of Rohl’s men.
After Sunderland’s 2-0 loss, Andy Tomlinson of the Roker Report gave Ekwah a 3/10 rating after he was taken off in the 71st minute by interim manager Mike Dodds.
| Ekwah’s numbers vs Sunderland | |
|---|---|
| Minutes played | 71 |
| Touches | 53 |
| Key passes | 0 |
| Shots on goal | 1 |
| Tackles | 2 |
| Dribbled past | 1 |
With Tomlinson describing the 22-year-old’s display as being “pretty anonymous”, Ekwah’s downfall in the senior ranks has been an intriguing one to watch unfold considering how promising of a gem he looked at the start of the season.
The 6 foot 2 midfielder looked like an absolute golden steal at the start of the campaign – having joined from West Ham United in January of 2023 – after a blistering performance against Southampton in September last year, bagging two strikes as the Black Cats tore the Saints to shreds in a comprehensive 5-0 victory.
Since then, the fortunes of both teams have significantly changed, as has Ekwah’s standing in the Black Cats camp with the very real possibility that the Frenchman could be offloaded this coming summer if a top-flight party takes a punt on his services.
Pierre Ekwah’s transfer value by 2024
Sunderland can still demand a high fee for their up-and-down 22-year-old to depart, with a transfer valuation higher than that of first-team regular Dan Neil (according to Football Transfers), despite Neil’s consistent performance for the Black Cats this season.
Despite underperforming in Sunderland’s disappointing season, Ekwah is still valued at £4.6 million, which the club would undoubtedly welcome.
Neil, who has four goals and five assists in 44 outings, is worth £600k less than his unreliable opponent, who is valued at £4 million.
| Sunderland’s highest value assets – 2023/24 | |
|---|---|
| 1. Anthony Patterson | £11m |
| 2. Jack Clarke | £7.6m |
| 3. Jobe Bellingham | £6.6m |
| 4. Adil Aouchiche | £5.4m |
| 5. Abdoullah Ba | £5.3m |
When looking at the table above, Ekwah does not quite make the top five most valuable assets at the Stadium of Light, but the likes of Abdoullah Ba and Adil Aouchiche – who fall into the same category as Ekwah as raw and unreliable youngsters who have demonstrated their inexperience – could also be moved on soon, especially given their equally high values.
Selling on the underperforming central midfielder may be the best decision of the three, given how much the 22-year-old’s value has risen in recent years despite struggles in areas.
In 2022, Ekwah was unknown to Sunderland supporters in the Hammers youth system, with a value of only £51k (according to Football Transfers). However, his value skyrocketed to £2.8m in 2023 after a move to the Stadium of Light.
This might create for a very interesting off-season tale in Wearside about Ekwah’s future, with a huge temptation to cash in on the topsy-turvy midfielder immediately, especially if a Premier League team gambles on the 22-year-old to make the step-up and bids handsomely.
There will be no such ambiguity about Neil’s future, with the former academy product turned sometimes Sunderland captain eagerly anticipating the new season to try to make his boyhood club promotion contenders once more.
With a new manager being the number one priority before any incomings or outgoings are confirmed, this summer promises to be dramatic and hectic, and the powers that be at Sunderland must get it right to make up for such a car crash of a campaign that has finally been put to rest.
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