Sunderland have completed the signing of highly rated French midfielder Pierre Ekwah.
The 21-year-old becomes the Club’s first January signing and makes a permanent move to Wearside from Premier League side West Ham United.
Who is Pierre Ekwah?
- Born in Massy, a suburb of southern Paris, Ekwah’s development into an academy product came with RC Arpajonnais, Bretigny FCS and CFF Paris.
- Ekwah then spent three years in the illustrious Clarefontaine academy in France which has gone on to produce the likes of Thierry Henry, Kylian Mbappe, Nicolas Anelka and Oliver Giroud.
- Described as a box-to-box midfielder, he lists his childhood footballing idol as Zinedine Zidane. However, he is comfortable in playing in defence.
- The midfielder has represented France at under-16 and under-20 level but is also eligible to represent Ghana.
- After graduating from Clairefontaine, the Frenchman sealed a move to Nantes before he was snapped up in the summer of 2018 by Chelsea. He signed his first professional contract with the Blues in April 2019 after impressing in the academy set up.
- After 30 games and five goals at youth level, West Ham paid an undisclosed fee to lure him to East London in the summer of 2021 following a successful trail. Ekwah aiming to graduate through the ranks and follow in the footsteps of Mark Noble and Declan Rice.
- Ekwah has appeared five times in the Papa John’s Trophy for West Ham.
- After 39 appearances and nine goals in the Hammers Under-21s’ set-up, Ekwah has now gone in search of first-team football with a move to Sunderland.