On deadline day, Saint-Etienne signed Pierre Ekwah from Sunderland on a loan deal with an option to buy.
The Black Cats appointed Regis Le Bris as their new manager in the summer. He didn’t use the midfielder in the league and handed him an appearance in the EFL Cup this season.
Ekwah arrived at Sunderland in January 2023 and was a regular until the end of last season. He wasn’t pleased with the limited role under Le Bris, and this was one of the reasons behind his decision to leave the Stadium of Light.
Poteaux-Carrés had a detailed chat with the Championship side’s manager about the 22-year-old’s move to Saint-Etienne.
Le Bris has revealed he “would have liked” to have taken a closer look at the player during the pre-season. He couldn’t because the Frenchman suffered an injury in July and was on the sidelines for a fortnight.
“Pierre was out, he came back at the end of the preparatory phase, but in the meantime the team had really taken off. I think that only reinforced for him the idea that the next step wasn’t here,” he said.
“And for us, as the team was doing well, it made sense for Pierre to look for a new project. That’s how it happened, it’s a bit by chance and at the same time a bit of destiny. But coming from the outside, I would have liked to try him out. But I couldn’t do it.”
Le Bris’ compatriot Olivier Dall’Oglio has been in charge at the Ligue 1 side since 2023. He insists a move to Saint-Etienne is a ‘step forward’ for Ekwah.
Poteaux-Carrés quizzed the Sunderland coach whether Dall’Oglio contacted him to ask about the midfielder. When responding to that, Le Bris backed Ekwah to have a successful season at the French club.
“You’re assuming wrong [laughs]. In fact, it didn’t happen like that. Olivier could have but it didn’t happen like that,” Le Bris explained.
“The networks that lead to recruitment are sometimes improbable [laughs]. I don’t know the underlying story. But I wish lots of good things to Pierre at Saint-Etienne.”
“In addition to being a good player, he’s a pleasant person, not complicated. He has a good culture. The subject, for him, will be to perform at the highest level. He will have a great audience behind him, I hope that will galvanize him!”
