Aouchiche ‘set for Sunderland return’ after what has happened at Portsmouth
Adil Aouchiche looks ready to exit Portsmouth and return to Sunderland at the end of the season after the latest admission made by John Mousinho at Fratton Park.
Sunderland’s main focus for now will be on achieving promotion via the Championship playoffs, in which they aren’t entering in particular great form.
However, only then will any real consideration be made ahead of the summer transfer window, with the Black Cats yet to find out which division they will be playing in.
When that is all said and done, Sunderland will have a lot of work to do and will have a decision to make on the future of Aouchiche.
Portsmouth unlikely to utilise Aouchiche again
Aouchiche’s fate seemed clear at Sunderland as soon as Regis Le Bris walked through the door, having been snubbed by the Frenchman during the pair’s time together at Lorient.
It was no different on Wearside, where he would depart on loan to Portsmouth, but a wrist injury is likely to keep him out of action until the end of the season, and it seems unlikely that the Blues will pursue a permanent deal.
| Championship | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Aouchiche | 20 | 1 | 2 |
John Mousinho, via The News, said: “Aouchiche had the fracture previously, he tried to play with it (against Watford) and it just wasn’t right. So I don’t think we’ll see Adil play at the weekend.
“I’m not sure we’ll risk him unless he’s 100 per cent.”
Aouchiche is under contract at Sunderland for three more years after the end of the current season, leaving question marks over where his future lies.
Sunderland need summer clearout regardless of promotion outcome
Everyone on Wearside will be hoping that Sunderland are a Premier League club next season, but until the end of May, no one will know if that will come to fruition.
However, with or without promotion, Sunderland have a lot of work to do in the summer in terms of the recruitment of incoming players as well as sales, with the likes of Aouchiche potentially on the chopping block.
A handful of loanees will return to the Stadium of Light in the summer, and given their lack of involvement this season, it seems unlikely that many, if any of them, will have a future on Wearside.