Aouate's move to Spain was made easier by the fact that he obtained a French passport, thus not counting as a foreigner. After forcing his way into the starting line-up in 2004–05 due to Ricardo's loan return to Manchester United – going on to play 74 games out of 76 in his final two years – he signed a four-year contract with fellow La Liga side Deportivo de La Coruña in August 2006, in a swap deal involving three players plus €1.5 million. He quickly paid back the confidence of his new club with an excellent season, appearing in all 38 matches; "Don Balón", a Spanish football magazine, placed him eighth on their list of La Liga's Footballer of the Year in 2007.