Aberdeen’s loan signing of midfielder Adil Aouchiche from English Premier League Sunderland, with the option to buy, might be a huge coup. However, it is up to manager Jimmy Thelin to restore the form that propelled Aouchiche to the top of European football’s adolescent talent rankings.

As a youth, the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder made his debut and scored for the French club. In 2019, he was desired by European powerhouses Barcelona and Bayern Munich, as well as Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen.

Aouchiche’s ability to control a game earned him comparisons to French icon Zinedine Zidane when he was younger.

Thomas Tuchel, then-Paris Saint-Germain manager and current England manager, was anxious to recruit Aouchiche on a long-term contract because he rated him so highly.

Resurrecting Aouchiche’s career

Ultimately, the offensive midfielder elected to sign with Saint-Étienne, where he made nearly 70 games in the French league.

He went from being on the radar of Barcelona and Bayern Munich to being loaned out by Sunderland to Portsmouth in the Championship. Portsmouth finished 16th in England’s second division last season.

Aberdeen manager Thelin and Aouchiche should use Aouchiche’s loan experience at Pittodrie to determine what went wrong in his career trajectory. And fix it.

The Dons have a right to buy included into the loan agreement for the midfielder, which is said to be worth £1.5 million.

That would surpass the current club record of £1 million paid by the Dons to Oldham to sign Paul Bernard in 1995.

Option to buy could be a bargain

If Thelin can restore the midfielder to the heights he provided a few years ago, the cost could eventually be a bargain. No. 10s who can coordinate play and turn a game around with a flash of creative brilliance or outside-the-box thinking are like gold dust.

Aberdeen really needed some creativity during the summer transfer window, and Thelin has provided that by signing Aouchiche. The talent and promise are definitely there; all that remains is for Thelin to devise a strategy to resurrect Aouchiche’s career.

A loan with the option to buy is the appropriate decision since if the midfielder does not impress, he will return to his parent club Sunderland at the conclusion of the season.

However, the most intriguing prospect for Thelin and Dons fans will be what Aouchiche has previously demonstrated his ability to achieve.

Goal scoring record held with Platini

The midfielder scored the most goals in the 2019 under-17 European Championships, with nine in five matches. His total matched the record for most goals scored in a UEFA national team finals event. Aouchiche scored in a 1-1 tie with England before netting three goals in a 4-2 victory over Sweden.

He scored in a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands, the eventual tournament winners, as France won Group B.

The midfielder scored four times in a 6-1 quarterfinal victory over Czech Republic. He drew a blank in the semi-finals, as France fell to Italy.

The latest Aberdeen loan signing currently shares the record for most goals scored in a Uefa national competition with three-time Ballon d’Or winner Michel Platini, which he set during Euro 1984.

That nine-goal haul is all the more impressive given that Aouchiche played for France largely as a defensive midfielder during the under-17 Euros.

Lighting up the under-17 World Cup

Aouchiche lit up the under-17 World Cup in 2o19, scoring one goal and assisting seven times while playing as a No. 10.

His achievements earned him the Silver Ball as the second-best player, after only Brazil’s Gabriel Veron.

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