Sunderland AFC is delighted to announce the signing of Adil Aouchiche.
The attacking midfielder has signed a five-year contract at the Stadium of Light, arriving from Ligue 1 side FC Lorient for an undisclosed fee.
A Ligue 1 and Coupe de France winner, the 21-year-old has made more than 80 senior appearances in the French top flight and he was a 2020 Golden Boy Award nominee.
Aouchiche progressed through Paris Saint-Germain’s youth system and made his first-team debut aged 17, becoming the Club’s second youngster goalscorer after netting in a 6-0 victory over Linas-Montlhéry.
The attacking midfielder joined AS Saint-Étienne in July 2020 and went on to feature 77 times for Les Verts, scoring two goals and contributing ten assists in all competitions.
Aouchiche joined Lorient in September 2022 and concludes his time at Les Merlus with three assists and one goal in 13 appearances.
A France youth international at Under-16,17,18 and 20 level, the attacking midfielder was Silver Ball at the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championships after scoring nine goals in five matches.
Kristjaan Speakman said: “Adil broke onto the scene in the French top tier and despite his age, he has made a significant number of appearances. More recently he has not played regularly, but we believe in his talent and flexibility, and his potential to further improve in our environment. His challenge now is to break into a highly competitive team and forge his way in the Championship, but we are looking forward to supporting him in that process and we will ensure he has everything he needs to succeed throughout his time at the Stadium of Light.”