SUNDERLAND have held talks with Portsmouth over the possible loan departure of Adil Aouchiche ahead of Monday night’s transfer deadline.

Regis Le Bris has given the green light for Aouchiche to leave before the window closes at the start of next week, with the French forward having been unable to hold down a place in the Black Cats’ first team.

Portsmouth have expressed an interest in signing the 22-year-old, and are hoping to push through a loan deal in the next couple of days.

Ideally, if Aouchiche was to leave on loan, Sunderland would prefer the terms of his departure to include a clause for a potential permanent exit in the summer.

However, the Black Cats hierarchy will consider a straight loan arrangement as they look to trim their squad this month.

Aaron Connolly and Nazariy Rusyn have already departed, with the former having joined Millwall on a permanent basis and the latter having moved to Croatian side Hajduk Split on a loan deal that could become a full-time transfer in the summer.

READ MORE:

• Sunderland will allow defender to leave - and striker latest amid Chuba Akpom claim

• Regis Le Bris' Dan Neil admission - and explanation of call on Wilson Isidor

Aouchiche is set to follow them through the exit door, with defender Joe Anderson and midfielder Abdoullah Ba also having been made available for transfer this month.

Portsmouth had Middlesbrough winger Sammy Silvera on loan in the first half of the season, but the deal was curtailed and the Australian returned to his parent club after he failed to establish himself at Fratton Park.

There is a gap in the Pompey squad for another wide forward, with Aouchiche having been identified as a viable target.

The former France Under-20 international joined Sunderland from Lorient in the summer of 2023 on a five-year deal.

However, he has only made 38 senior appearances for the Black Cats, scoring two goals, with Le Bris having been reluctant to give him too much game time this season.

Aouchiche was brought back in from the cold after Romaine Mundle and Tommy Watson both suffered injuries around the turn of the year, but has found himself restored to the fringe of things after the signing of Enzo Le Fee.

With Mundle and Watson both expected to return to full fitness in the next month or so, Sunderland’s wide-left attacking position is about to become extremely competitive again, with Aouchiche potentially not even making the matchday squad.

There have been suggestions of interest from overseas in the last couple of weeks, but a move to Portsmouth would give Aouchiche the opportunity to prove himself in the Championship in the second half of the season.