English Premier League side Sunderland has added another major piece to its summer squad rebuild, confirming the signing of 20-year-old DR Congo youth international midfielder Jules Ahoka from Belgian top-flight club Royal Antwerp. The transfer fee for the promising young talent sits at €10 million, equal to roughly £8.6 million, with Ahoka penning a long-term contract at the Stadium of Light.
Ahoka, who already earned minutes in both of Antwerp’s opening 2024-25 Belgian league matches this season, expressed his delight at securing the move to the northeast English club. “I am very happy and proud to join Sunderland,” he said in an official statement released by the club. “It is a big club with great ambitions, and I am excited to be here. I want to work hard, learn from my team-mates and the staff, and continue developing as a player. I will give everything for the club and I cannot wait to get started.”
This transfer marks Sunderland’s third confirmed senior signing of the 2024 summer transfer window, following the earlier arrivals of Belgian left-back Thomas Meunier and French right-back Dayann Methalie. Florent Ghisolfi, Sunderland’s director of football, explained that the club has scouted Ahoka for an extended period, and was impressed by the young midfielder’s early career performances.
“Jules is a player we have been following closely and he has shown some very encouraging qualities for his age,” Ghisolfi said. “He has huge potential and we believe Sunderland is the right environment for him to continue his development.”
The transfer news comes just days after Sunderland’s opening match of the new Premier League season, where they fell to a 2-1 home defeat against Ipswich Town. The Black Cats are set to return to action this coming Sunday, kicking off against Fulham at 2:00 PM BST. Fans can access dedicated pre-match, post-match, and exclusive Sunderland content through BBC Sounds, with subscriptions available for follow-up coverage of the club’s 2024-25 campaign.