Why Sunderland are selling Eliezer Mayenda as Stade Rennais move nears | OneFootball

According to Sunderland Echo, Sunderland have agreed a deal with Stade Rennais. The move is not yet signed but is expected to go through, a reluctant sale that still appears to suit all parties.

Sunderland rate the 21-year-old highly and his popularity with staff, team-mates and supporters is clear. Last season was not the vintage campaign envisaged, yet he rebounded from a tough first year to become one of their most exciting striking talents.

Mayenda has strong affection for the club and negotiations have been handled respectfully. He had begun to weigh up a move in the second half of last season as Brian Brobbey’s rise limited his prospects, while Wilson Isidor finished strongly and moved ahead in Régis Le Bris’s plans.

Rennes offer an ambitious project, Europa League football this season and a realistic push for the Champions League in years ahead. Franck Haise is expected to follow at some stage and he has often used two up front. Mayenda would join as a senior squad member, with no guarantees but an expectation to perform.

A strong offer made the decision easier, with performance-related add-ons and Sochaux retaining a substantial sell-on from the 2023 deal. Despite a modest initial fee, Sunderland stand to make a significant profit, strengthening their SCR position this summer and into the next window.

That creates room for Ghisolfi to reinvest. In an ideal world Mayenda might have been kept or loaned, but under SCR and UEFA’s tighter rules a deal of this size is hard to ignore. Tom Burwell said last month the club would need to act shrewdly this summer, and this move fits that model.

Source: Sunderland Echo