Ghana-eligible midfielder Pierre Ekwah has completed a loan move to AJ Auxerre from Saint-Étienne, with the club retaining an option to make the transfer permanent.
The move was confirmed by Saint-Étienne on Wednesday, giving the 24-year-old another opportunity to relaunch his career after a challenging period that included a difficult loan spell in England with Watford.
Ekwah’s switch to Auxerre marks his second straight loan move after spending the second half of the 2025/26 season at Watford, where he made seven appearances in the Championship.
The midfielder now returns to Ligue 1, a competition he knows well after featuring 29 times for Saint-Étienne during the 2024/25 season.
Auxerre moved for Ekwah as they look to reinforce their midfield options following the departure of Elisha Owusu to Turkish club Erzurumspor and an injury setback to Assane Dioussé.
The former West Ham United academy player endured a difficult start to the 2025/26 campaign after being left out of Saint-Étienne’s squad during the first half of the season following a reported disagreement over playing commitments.
However, the move to Auxerre offers him the chance to regain regular football, rebuild his confidence and return to the level that made him one of Ligue 1’s promising midfielders.
Ekwah remains eligible to represent Ghana through his heritage despite representing France at youth international level. He has not yet earned a senior cap for Les Bleus, leaving the door open for a possible Black Stars call-up in the future.
