First and foremost, it’s nigh on impossible to argue against the economic logic of Eliezer Mayenda’s sale to Rennes.
A fee rumoured to be north of £20 million for a player that cost around £800,000 when we signed him from Sochaux in 2023 represents another piece of Sunderland transfer wizardry and even once sell-on clauses are factored in, the profit will be hefty and it’ll be clear that the principles of “Sign, nurture, develop, sell and hopefully reinvest smartly” have been adhered to once again.
He scored our first goal of the 2025/2026 season, rising high to power a header past a stranded Mads Hermansen when West Ham made the trip north last summer, but will Mayenda pass this way again?
Maybe not in red and white, but after two or three hopefully productive seasons in France, I could easily see him making a big-money move to a rival Premier League club. In the meantime, we can add another forward to the summer shopping list; hopefully, this means that Wilson Isidor will remain on Wearside, and the road goes ever on and on.
This sale undoubtedly shines a spotlight on the challenge being faced by Sunderland.