Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman enjoyed a successful transfer window last summer as he brought in a number of talented players.
The ex-Birmingham chief signed the likes of Amad Diallo, Ellis Simms, Jack Clarke, Jewison Bennette and Daniel Ballard, and his work in the market has contributed to the Wearside club sitting tenth in the Championship after 27 matches.
Alese has been one of the standout signings for the Black Cats as he has been in impressive form in the second tier this season.
He is currently out injured but averaged an eye-catching Sofascore rating of 7.01 in 12 appearances prior to sustaining his injury.
The 22-year-old defender arrived on a permanent deal from West Ham United and has been Sunderland’s fourth-best performer this term, according to Sofascore.
Alese’s success shows that Speakman knows how to spot young talent, and the club chief could now repeat the masterclass that he played with the full-back by signing one of his former team-mates.
Should Sunderland sign Pierre Ekwah?
Journalist Jonty Colman recently claimed that the Black Cats are now “interested” in signing West Ham midfielder Pierre Ekwah on loan until the end of the season.
The 21-year-old Frenchman could follow in Alese’s footsteps by arriving at the Stadium of Light and making an impact in the Championship for the Wearside club.
Speaking to The Chronicle, the aforementioned Colman described the gem’s playing style by saying: “Pierre Ekwah is an all-action midfielder who has good ability in various areas, such as work-rate, defending and getting forward to contribute with attacks.
“He is one of the more senior players in a largely young West Ham Under-21s side, with the majority of the older players currently out on loan, or moving on to new clubs, such as Aji Alese.”
The Frenchman, who has been capped 18 times by his country at youth level, has scored four goals in 10 Premier League 2 matches for the Irons this season and has caught the eye in the EFL Trophy.
In three appearances in the lower league cup competition, Ekwah averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.00 as he created two chances and made two tackles and interceptions per game.
If he could translate that 7.00 rating over to the Championship, it would place him fifth in the current Sunderland squad, and the Frenchman’s statistics in the EFL Trophy back up Colman’s comments about his ‘all-action’ performances.
Therefore, Ekwah has the potential to be a fine prospective addition to Tony Mowbray’s options in the middle of the park if he can step up and perform at those levels week in, week out in the second tier.
Of course, the youngster is yet to prove that he can be a regular performer at senior level, and the deal would be a risk, but Speakman has shown that he has a good eye for young prospects, and the Black Cats chief clearly sees something in the West Ham gem.
