‘I’m definitely happy’: 22-year-old says Sunderland is ‘perfect’ for him amid transfer interest

Alongside Jack Clarke… Another star ‘happy’ at Sunderland despite transfer interest

Pierre Ekwah responded to recent rumors that he was being pursued by Sunderland by scoring his fourth goal.

With his second goal in three games, Pierre Ekwah helped Sunderland defeat Plymouth Argyle 3-1 on the weekend.

The Frenchman, who also scored against Stoke last month, is playing much better now that Michael Beale has allowed him more freedom in midfield.

Ekwah was excellent when he first joined the Black Cats in January 2023, but he wasn’t the same after sustaining an injury.

But he’s starting to revert to his best self, and he’s been a mainstay on the park lately, right beside Dan Neil.

Despite some late interest during the summer transfer window due to the 22-year-old’s breakthrough campaign on Wearside, a departure never seemed to be in the cards.

But it wasn’t long before Crystal Palace, Fulham, and Nottingham Forest reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Ekwah in January, giving Sunderland extra competition to hang onto him.

The midfield player was once again kept by Sunderland, but he might be one of several talents enticed to the Premier League if the team doesn’t achieve promotion this season.

Despite interest, Ekwah has made it clear that he is happy at the Stadium of Light and believes it is the ‘perfect place’ for him as a youngster.

Ekwah responded to the Sunderland Echo when asked if Wearside is the ideal location for him, saying, “Oh yeah, 100%.” I’m pleased here, as I mentioned when we last spoke. It’s the ideal location for my personal and football-related growth. There are definitely a lot of people having fun out there, and I’m certainly having a great time.

Ekwah continued talking about Michael Beale and how he had helped him go up the pitch. “We were talking about my past and all this, about where I’ve been and things like that,” he said.

“When the new gaffer came in he introduced himself and at the same time we introduced ourselves to him. Knowing the background of everyone I think is great and he’s done a great gesture and I appreciate that.”

Although Pierre Ekwah’s time at Sunderland has been somewhat of a rollercoaster, there was no doubting that, before his injury earlier in the season, he was one of the team’s top performers.

The former West Ham player, though, seems to be improving every day at this point, and it’s fantastic that Michael Beale has seen how much better he looks when he isn’t asked to play anchor in midfield.

The way that Ekwah and Dan Neil have performed has truly demonstrated the great effect that they have had on the team and our capacity to move ahead and generate opportunities, which is something we have been struggling with lately.

Ekwah still has years of potential to come and to lose him this summer would be a huge loss, while I don’t think we would develop quite as quickly if he jumped ship straight to the top flight just yet.