Eliezer Mayenda ranks third in Sunderland’s biggest sales after Rennes move | OneFootball

Eliezer Mayenda has completed a move to Rennes, a transfer that ranks as Sunderland’s third most expensive sale at £21.5m.

The player said in a post that leaving was not easy, he thanked chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, team-mates, staff and supporters, and recalled Wembley as a defining memory.

Mayenda joined from Sochaux in the summer of 2023 on a cut-price deal, then gained senior minutes on loan at Hibernian.

He became a key figure in the 2024/25 promotion campaign, scoring Sunderland’s equaliser in the play-off final win over Sheffield United at Wembley.

After Brian Brobbey arrived, his game time in the top flight was limited. Mayenda made eight league starts last season, and scored in a 3-0 win over West Ham United on the opening day.

He now heads to Ligue 1 aiming to make an impact with Rennes, and could face Sunderland in the Europa League. Only Jordan Pickford, £25m to Everton, rising to £30m, and Jobe Bellingham, £28m to Borussia Dortmund, rising to £33m, have fetched more.

Source: Sunderland Echo