The Frenchman completed his switch to the south coast on Friday evening and will be part of the Blues’ Championship survival bid until the end of the season.
At that point the 22-year-old will return to the Stadium of Light, when the Black Cats will assess his progress and decide whether the former Lorient wide man will be part of their structure moving forward.
Only then will Sunderland make a decision on where his future lies, with Pompey under no obligation to make his Fratton Park stint permanent – or having an option to keep Aouchiche beyond the current campaign.
Valued at €2.0m by Flashscore.com, the former French under-20 international has struggled for regular minutes on Wearside following his move to the north east in 2023.
Aouchiche has mustered just 13 league starts in that time and been handed three this season as Regis Le Bris’ side mount a Premier League promotion challenge. Coupled with a loan exit for the rest of the season, it suggests the player’s permanent future potentially could lie elsewhere.
Yet only when he returns to Sunderland and his Pompey obligations are completed will his career path be determined.
Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said: ‘Adil has worked hard and played his part when called upon, and been a good team-mate, but competition within our squad is extremely high and his opportunities have been limited as a result.
‘Naturally, he would like to play more regularly, and we believe this opportunity will enable him to do that in a competitive environment that will support his development. We wish him well and look forward to reviewing his progress at the end of the campaign.’
Six signings completed by Pompey
Aouchiche represents Pompey’s sixth signing of the January transfer window, with details of his arrival coming just hours after the Blues completed a move for Rotherham left-back Cohen Bramall.
Confirmation of a deal being struck came at the tail end of a day that began with reports claiming the transfer would fall through because of the Home Office’s Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) criteria.
Pompey now have five loanees on their books: Freddie Potts (West Ham), Rob Atkinson (Bristol City), Isaac Hayden (Newcastle United), Mark O’Mahony (Brighton), and Aouchiche.
The Blues have no purchase agreements with any of the above clubs. Meanwhile, no more than five loanees can be included in a Pompey matchday squad.
Welcoming Aouchiche to Fratton Park, John Mousinhp said, ‘We’re delighted to welcome Adil to Fratton Park for the remainder of the campaign.
‘We already saw firsthand how dangerous he can be when we played Sunderland a few weeks ago.
‘He’s an incredibly talented young player who will complement the attacking options we already have in the squad.’
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