Pierre Ekwah is set to leave AS Saint-Etienne and join fellow Ligue 1 club AJ Auxerre after the two sides reached a full agreement over a paid loan for the defensive midfielder.
According to Foot Mercato, Auxerre will pay €300,000 for the loan, which will also include a non-obligatory option to buy the France-born Cameroon international for €6m.
The deal has not yet been formally completed, but Ekwah was in Burgundy on Wednesday for his medical examination and is now close to signing his contract with AJ Auxerre.
Auxerre moved quickly to strengthen their midfield after Assane Diousse suffered a serious injury. Diousse sustained a cruciate ligament rupture and is expected to be sidelined for a lengthy period, leaving the club needing another option in the centre of the pitch.
Ekwah has emerged as the solution for the Burgundy-based side and is expected to begin a new chapter in Ligue 1. His arrival would provide Auxerre with additional defensive midfield cover while also offering the 23-year-old an opportunity to revive his career.
The move follows Ekwah’s return from a loan spell at Watford, where he made seven appearances in the Championship. Despite coming back to AS Saint-Etienne, he had not featured for the club since the restart of the season.
Ekwah had been in conflict with Les Verts for several months, although he continued to train normally with the first-team squad. His lack of competitive involvement meant that a departure became increasingly likely, and the agreement with Auxerre now gives him the chance to regain regular first-team football.
For AS Saint-Etienne, the loan provides a route for the midfielder to leave temporarily while retaining the possibility of a permanent transfer if Auxerre decide to activate the €6m option at the end of the deal. The option is not compulsory, meaning the Ligue 1 club will retain the choice of whether to make Ekwah’s move permanent.
Ekwah’s immediate priority will be completing the final stages of the transfer before joining his new team. Auxerre are looking to integrate him as they respond to the loss of Diousse, while the midfielder will hope the switch allows him to rebuild his momentum after a disrupted period at club level.
The medical examination is understood to be the next step before the contract can be signed and the transfer officially confirmed.
