KRISTJAAN Speakman has explained Sunderland's decision to allow Pierre Ekwah to move on, with the midfielder having joined St Etienne on loan for the season.

The French club have the option to make the deal permanent next summer. It's understood Sunderland will receive a seven-figure loan fee.

Ekwah made 61 appearances for Sunderland after joining from West Ham in January last year and stood out in some superb performances in red and white. But the Black Cats are well stocked in midfield after the arrival of Alan Browne and with Samis Abdul Samed and Milan Aleksic set to join before tonight's deadline.

Speakman said: “Following Pierre’s arrival at Sunderland, he has developed from an Under-21 player to become a Championship midfielder, and we are proud of the role we have played in his progression.

"The midfield is an incredibly competitive area in our squad and this agreement represents a positive outcome for the club and Pierre, who expressed his desire to take this opportunity and challenge himself in Ligue 1. We wish him well and look forward to revisiting his situation next summer.”

Timothee Pembele's exit has also now been confirmed, with the right-back finalising a season-long loan switch to Le Havre AC. He'll return to Wearside next summer with the Black Cats hopeful the former PSG youngster can still be a success on Wearside.

Speakman said: “Timothée’s availability last season represented an opportunity for us to acquire a player with vast potential.

"We moved quickly to secure his signature but understood that he needed time to recover from an injury that was preceded by another lengthy spell out of action.

"Although he hasn’t yet managed to force his way into the team, he is now fully fit and has trained consistently. The next step is for him to play regularly in a competitive senior environment, and we believe this move will allow him to do that before returning to Sunderland next summer.”