On summer deadline day, Sunderland allowed Pierre Ekwah to join AS Saint-Étienne on a loan deal with an option to buy.
Towards the end of September, the 22-year-old said he didn’t hesitate to leave the Black Cats for the Ligue 1 side.
The Sunderland owned player has given a lengthy interview to Le Progrès, discussing his time at the French club so far, his future plans and other topics.
Ekwah was a regular at Sunderland last season but lost prominence after Régis Le Bris arrived at the Stadium of Light in the summer. This convinced him to leave the English club for Saint-Étienne and the move has worked out well for him so far.
The midfielder has made 10 league starts for the French club, who also have an option to make his stay permanent next summer. At Saint-Étienne, Ekwah claims he doesn’t feel he is on loan from the Championship side.
“It’s weird. I have a sense of belonging to Saint-Étienne. In my head, I’m not on loan. But when I’m asked the question, I have to answer that I’m on loan. I’m between two clubs,” he said.
Le Progrès state Saint-Étienne want to retain Ekwah beyond this season but there’s a possibility he could return to Sunderland.
On how he handles the situation, Ekwah explained: “The players and the staff never made me feel like I was on loan. When I arrived, I said to myself: ‘I’m here for a long time.’ You never know, will I go back? Will I stay? I can’t give an answer.”
When asked if the question about his future is already on the table, he said: “In my mind, yes. We’ll see. Here, we’re talking about belonging. I belong to two clubs.”
