There must have been a palpable sense of relief from Sunderland supporters when Regis Le Bris' appointment was confirmed late last week, finally bringing to an end the Black Cats' drawn-out search for a new manager.
The ex-Lorient head coach put pen to paper on a three-year deal at the club on Friday, eager now to get down to work and restore pride into the Wearside outfit again after a poor season saw Sunderland finish in a lowly 16th spot.
The new French boss will no doubt want a number of incomings to stamp his authority but there could also be some outgoings too, which may well include one of his former players at Lorient being moved on.
Aouchiche's time at Lorient
Sunderland fans might have been excited by the prospect of Adil Aouchiche and what he could do this coming season after shining in spurts last campaign, despite such a poor overall year for the team.
The daring 21-year-old would help himself to a promising five goal contributions from 30 games in all competitions, but could find his fledging Sunderland career cut short with Le Bris rarely using him when the two were at Lorient together.
Aouchiche would only end up making 13 appearances for his ex-employers with Les Bris at the helm, with just one league start handed out to the 5 foot 11 attacking midfielder during the 2022/23 campaign by the new Black Cats manager, before leaving for England under his tenure.
The Sunderland number 22 would also be demoted to the Lorient B team on one occasion by the 48-year-old, with Aouchiche fearing now that he could be chucked to one side by Le Bris again, especially with the likes of Jobe Bellingham looking to nail down that number ten role as his own soon.
Now, he could be heading towards a premature Stadium of Light exit, if Le Bris decides the 21-year-old isn't to his liking again.
Aouchiche's transfer value at Sunderland
This doesn't have to be a crushing development, with Aouchiche's estimated transfer valuation – according to Football Transfers – making him a more valuable asset than first-team regular Dan Neil currently.
Although the attacking midfielder only started ten of the 28 Championship games he amassed last campaign, Aouchiche's valuation still stands at a hefty £4.8m, which means the Black Cats could cash in and not feel too disheartened.
For a player who was once purchased on a free transfer by Lorient, Sunderland would be in for some pretty profit, you imagine, if they did sell him on.
Neil, who featured in all but four of his side's 46 league games in contrast, finds his valuation surprisingly at a lesser £4.5m, meaning Sunderland might strike whilst the iron is hot and offload Aouchiche soon, before his value takes a hit.
1. Anthony Patterson
£10.9m
2. Jack Clarke
£7m
3. Jobe Bellingham
£6.9m
4. Trai Hume
£5.5m
5. Abdoullah Ba
£4.9m
Aouchiche isn't even that far off entering the top five table above when looking at the highest-valued players currently on Wearside, with the former Paris St. Germain youngster's pedigree in the game clearly outweighing his mediocre debut season in England.
It will be intriguing to see if the new manager does give Aouchiche a fair shot after discarding him at Lorient, with Neil, on the contrary, presumably a guaranteed first-teamer if the 22-year-old commits his future at the Stadium of Light, after rumours circulated he was unsettled with no boss occupying the dug-out.
Le Bris will just hope he can be the fresh injection of life the Black Cats need in the manager's hot seat next season, as Sunderland eye up a much higher finish than their car-crash 2023/24 offering.
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