Saint-Etienne have completed the signing of 18-year-old starlet Adil Aouchiche from league rivals Paris Saint-Germain.
After previously indicating that he would not sign a new deal with the French champions, Aouchiche subsequently had a medical with Saint-Etienne at the end of May, with the free transfer now confirmed.
A talented attacking midfielder, he made his debut for PSG in August in a league win over Metz, before going on to become the club’s second-youngest ever goalscorer after his strike in the 6-0 cup victory over Linas-Montlhery.
After the announcement was made by his new club, the player said he was sure he made the correct choice to leave PSG.
“It is with immense pride that I sign with Saint Etienne,” Aouchiche said.
🆕 Bienvenue dans la #TeamASSE, Adil ! 👊 pic.twitter.com/wbsfA39lNU
— AS Saint-Étienne (@ASSEofficiel) July 20, 2020
"I am joining a great club in Ligue 1, which is carried by the fervour around it. The supporters are magnificent. The city breathes football. I made the right choice. This passion provides a lot of strength. I will give my all.”
However, even though the 18-year-old only had a handful of opportunities under head coach Thomas Tuchel, the German boss insists he would have preferred Aouchiche to stay.
“It was difficult for Adil to find a place in the midfield,” Tuchel said.
“I can understand that he is trying another club to collect minutes of play. But of course I'm not happy, he has a lot of talent, ”
Aouchiche has represented France at U16, U17, and U18 level, and was recently nominated for the prestigious Golden Boy Award. He reportedly turned down offers from Arsenal and Leicester City.
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