Sunderland stance on Pierre Ekwah's future at the Stadium of Light revealed | OneFootball

Pierre Ekwah is currently on loan with French club Saint-Étienne

Sunderland reportedly have no plans to reintegrate Pierre Ekwah back into the first team squad.

The midfielder departed the Stadium of Light last summer, moving to French side Saint-Étienne on loan for the campaign.

His departure came as a surprise following the appointment of Régis Le Bris as the new head coach given how important the player had been in the previous campaign.

The 23-year-old has made 17 appearances in Ligue 1 so far this season, having played 40 times in the Championship with Sunderland last year.

Pierre Ekwah’s Sunderland future

Journalist Graeme Bailey has claimed that Ekwah is not a part of Sunderland’s upcoming first team plans, regardless of their league status for next year.

Le Bris’ side are in the mix for automatic promotion, but the midfielder will not return no matter what division they will soon be competing in.

“I don’t really think they see him as part of the future, from what I’m told,” said Bailey, via Sunderland AFC News.

Ekwah has previously spoken about potentially staying with the French club on a longer-term basis.

In an interview with Le Progres in December, he left the door open to a permanent switch to the top flight outfit, amid this uncertainty over his future with Sunderland.

“Will I stay? I can’t give an answer,” said Ekwah.

“In my mind, the question of staying is on the table. We’ll see.

“There, we are talking about [the feeling of] belonging.

“I belong to two clubs.”

Sunderland's promotion ambition

Sunderland are in the mix for a top two spot in the Championship, with the addition of Enzo Le Fee in the January market even beefing up their midfield options.

Le Bris’ side will feel confident of at least securing a play-off place given the significant gap that has emerged between them and fifth place in the table.

However, the Black Cats are now five points adrift of second place Sheffield United going into the weekend, with recent draws against Watford and Plymouth Argyle causing them to fall behind.

Next up for Sunderland is a crucial clash away to league leaders Leeds United on Monday night.

Ekwah obviously not a part of Le Bris’ plans

The manner of Ekwah’s departure from Sunderland in the summer suggested that Le Bris had no use for him in the squad.

While he was an important part of the team before, his absence hasn’t been particularly felt so a permanent exit this year would make a lot of sense.

Given he is playing consistently in France, remaining with St Étienne could prove a good fit, provided they can find an agreement with Sunderland over a deal.

However, a lot can happen between now and the summer, so it remains unclear what the future holds for the 23-year-old.