Adil Aouchiche is off to Aberdeen — a good move for him?

The Dons have signed the offensive midfielder on a season-long loan from Sunderland. Our writers share their thoughts on his move to Pittodrie.

Gav says…

I’m delighted we were able to move him along rapidly.

It was evident last season that Adil had no future here under Régis Le Bris, and his loan to Portsmouth went OK but was nothing remarkable, so he was never going to return and make a difference, especially after promotion. I believe there is a good player in there, but I am not sure we can afford to wait to find out.

He’ll probably do well in Scotland if he works hard and fits in, which is the most important factor here.

Adil has the potential, but can he put it to use over the course of a 40-game season, and can he find a manager that will appreciate him?

Aberdeen is truly a forward-thinking football club, and their recruitment strategy is sound. They like to look in European divisions for less well-known players, and it appears to be working, as they won the cup last season.

Their head coach, Jimmy Thelin, was associated with the Sunderland position before Le Bris got it, and I’m curious if he did his study on Sunderland and knew anything about Aouchiche, but in any case, I think this is a smart move for him and a nice fit. One down, approximately twenty to go—we have a lot of players to get rid of!

Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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John Wilson says…

I’m happy for Adil, as Aberdeen is a good fit for him. He was a hard worker and always gave his all for us. While he won’t be Premier League standard, he was a Championship-level player.

I hope he settles well in Scotland and impresses enough for them to make it a permanent move. He’s one of the more appealing squad players we need to offload, but there are others that I won’t.

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Tom Albrighton says…

The general consensus is that this is a wise decision for all parties involved.

Aouchiche was never expected to make an impact for Sunderland last season beyond his ‘break glass in case of emergency’ cameo midway through the season after all other options had been exhausted, so he was even less likely to be granted a shot in the higher division.

However, a move to Aberdeen should provide a solution for all parties, with a future fee included in the agreement.

At that level, Aouchiche — if his mindset is proper — should be head and shoulders above the level he’ll face outside of Celtic, which should be enough to convince Aberdeen to part with their money.

Aouchiche will not be the last to be forced to seek other pastures this summer, but giving players with movements that are perfectly suited to success can only help both the player and the organisation.

 

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