Anderlecht Owner Breaks Silence on ‘Explosive’ Sunderland Deal as January Exit Sparks Fury

Anderlecht owner Marc Coucke has finally addressed the storm surrounding Nilsson Angulo’s January move to Sunderland, insisting the Belgian giants had little choice but to cash in despite mounting fan anger.

Speaking on De Tafel van Gert and quoted by Voetbal 24, Coucke described the €20m transfer as “controversial” but unavoidable, lifting the lid on the financial pressures that forced Anderlecht’s hand late in the window.

Angulo completed a deadline-day switch to Sunderland after the Black Cats were suddenly left short out wide. Simon Adingra’s shock departure to AS Monaco — just months after arriving on Wearside — created an immediate gap in Régis Le Bris’ squad, prompting Sunderland to move quickly for the Anderlecht winger.

The Ecuadorian had been a standout performer in Belgium since arriving for a modest €1.9m in 2022. His progress had already attracted attention last summer, with reports suggesting he was keen on a new challenge, but Anderlecht managed to convince him to stay put. That decision paid off on the pitch, as Angulo flourished this season, racking up seven goals and eight assists in 30 appearances.

Those numbers eventually proved too tempting for Sunderland to ignore, with the Championship side deciding €20m was a price worth paying to solve their attacking headache.

However, the timing of the sale has not gone down well in Brussels. Supporters were left furious at seeing one of the club’s key players depart midway through the campaign, raising questions about Anderlecht’s ambition. Coucke, though, was blunt in his assessment of the situation.

“If you don’t play European football for a season, you end up in a position where selling players becomes necessary just to keep the club stable,” he explained.

According to Voetbal 24, Anderlecht simply could not turn down such a substantial offer — especially given Angulo’s low initial cost. Turning a €2m investment into a €20m return represented a massive profit, one the club felt it could not afford to pass up, no matter how controversial the decision proved to be.