Sunderland Agree £8.6m Deal For Royal Antwerp Starlet Jules Ahoka

On the eve of their 2026/27 Premier League opener, Sunderland are reportedly set to sign young Royal Antwerp holding-midfielder Jules Ahoka, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

On Friday afternoon, European outlet HLN indicated that Sunderland were set to sign defensive midfielder Ahoka in the coming days of the summer transfer window, with a €10m/£8.6m fee touted for the 20-year-old talent.

Following those reports, transfer insider Romano explained on X that Sunderland have "agreed a deal to sign Ahoka" on a permanent move, who was reportedly wanted by Black Cats Director of Football Florent Ghisolfi.  

Ahoka has been left out of the Antwerp squad for this weekend's home clash against league rivals Genk, with those reports and some Sunderland supporters surmising that this was due to his imminent move.

Reporter Sacha Tavolieri added on X afterwards that Sunderland will pay Antwerp a package of €10m/£8.6m to secure Ahoka's services, with the player set to go through the first part of his medical tests in the North East tonight (Friday, August 21).

Sunderland's official stance on Ahoka before Romano's 'here we go' had been that there was no interest at present, but behind the scenes, the youngster who stands at 6'1" seems to be a talent that the Stadium of Light transfer team have sought, given that he suits the club's recruitment model perfectly.

Ahoka has made just four senior appearances for Belgian top flight outfit Antwerp, but was named 'revelation of the tournament' during the summer's Tournoi Maurice Revello that Sunderland starlet Jocelin Ta Bi shone in during the summer after scoring twice in five games for DR Congo, with both players in the team of the tournament.

So far in the 2026/27 Belgian Pro League, Ahoka has been in eye-catching form for Antwerp, who sit second in the table, currently behind leaders Club Brugge on goal difference.

In his first appearance of the season, Ahoka enjoyed a dominant display in the middle of the park for Antwerp during their 2-1 comeback victory over SK Beveren, notching his first assist of the campaign.

During the win, midfield starlet Ahoka registered an 86 percent passing accuracy, created one big chance for his team, played seven passes into the final third, and made nine defensive contributions, playing a pivotal role in his side's impressive start to the season (according to FotMob data).

Although it is a small sample size, Ahoka's metrics point towards him being an exciting player, and one that suits Sunderland's recruitment model of young, promising talents in European football, with scope for development and future profit.

Also, Sunderland are no strangers to shopping in the Belgian top flight, with the likes of Chemsdine Talbi, Nilson Angulo, and Ahoka's compatriot Noah Sadiki all arriving from the league to the Stadium of Light following the Black Cats' Premier League return.

Ahoka is viewed by the Sunderland hierarchy as cover for and the understudy to captain and number six Granit Xhaka, and as a result of his impressive trajectory at Antwerp, is poised to be an extremely exciting addition to Regis Le Bris' squad.