English club Sunderland AFC are open to retaining the services of France-born forward of Cameroonian descent Pierre Ekwah this summer.
Although the midfielder was initially expected to sign a permanent deal with French outfit Saint-Etienne following his loan spell last season, he is likely to stay with the English Premier League club.
French outlet L’Équipe reports that both Sunderland and Ekwah were taken aback when Saint-Étienne triggered the €6 million buy option just minutes before the June 15 deadline.
The deal, initially agreed as part of last summer’s loan arrangement, will see the midfielder sign a contract running until 2028.
However, despite activating the purchase clause, Saint-Étienne may not retain Ekwah for long.
Sunderland Head coach Eirik Horneland is currently planning for the upcoming campaign with the midfielder in mind, but sources suggest the club remains open to his departure should a suitable offer arrive.
Ekwah, now finds himself at the centre of transfer uncertainty once again, with the coming weeks likely to determine his long-term future.
He is said to be a transfer target of German Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart.
