A particular Sunderland youngster will be looking to win the favour of inbound manager Regis Le Bris.
Sunderland are set to finally name their new manager ahead of the 2024/25 Championship season, well over 100 days since they last had a permanent manager.
Frenchman Regis Le Bris has seemingly won the favour of Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, who released a statement earlier in June claiming that a head coach appointment was ‘imminent’ at the Stadium of Light.
Le Bris arrives at the club with two years experience of Ligue 1 management with Lorient, as well as a decade of action in youth football coaching; something that could prove to be vital for Sunderland’s young squad.
He will look to work on a clean slate as he aims to appoint his Lorient no.2 Ingo Goetze as his assistant, however there will be a familiar face in the squad that must impress the new boss from the off.
Sunderland midfielder Adil Aouchiche has previously underperformed for Regis Le Bris
Young midfielder Adil Aouchiche fell in and out of contention throughout the 2023/24 season for Sunderland, being utilised more often off the bench.
However, the Frenchman has a history with Sunderland’s new coach having played under Le Bris for Lorient in the 2021/22 season when they finished in an impressive 10th place.
He struggled to cement a starting position under the 48-year-old boss, starting just one Ligue 1 fixture and not featuring at all for his side’s final seven fixtures.
On top of this, despite a widely successful 2021/22 season for Lorient, Aouchiche featured in just two of Le Bris’ league victories that campaign.
Adil Aouchiche will have a point to prove to new Sunderland boss
Aouchiche’s history with the new Sunderland manager may work in favour of the 21-year-old, who was in fine form for Saint-Etienne before his move to Lorient, where he tallied 35 appearances in the 2021/22 campaign.
Le Bris will be fully aware of the potential of the young midfielder, who was nominated for the Golden Boy Award back in 2020.
The imminently arriving coach also specialises in the development of young players, having a youth coaching career that spans back to the 2012/13 season where he was appointed as manager of the Lorient U19s.
Le Bris must be patient with the youthful talent in his squad, particularly Aouchiche, who will need game time to show his true ability.
The French midfielder must relish the opportunity to play in a system he will be very familiar with, under Le Bris he has the opportunity to become a key man in the middle of the park.