Eliezer Mayenda weighs exit as Sunderland consider next steps | OneFootball

Eliezer Mayenda’s Sunderland future is in flux, with the forward favouring a move for more regular football. Sunderland Echo understands that, while nothing is guaranteed at this stage, the situation is amicable on all sides.

Recent noise from France about a summer exit aligns broadly with the player’s stance, and his agent posted from the Stadium of Light with the caption “The Last Dance”.

At 21, Mayenda wants to lead a front line and start consistently. Sunderland are preparing for a demanding Premier League season and a European return, and the attacking profile under Régis Le Bris has evolved, limiting his route to being first choice.

The rise of Brian Brobbey has highlighted a preference for strength and power through the middle when using one striker, squeezing opportunities for Mayenda and Wilson Isidor. There remains clear mutual respect between Mayenda and Le Bris.

Mayenda helped secure promotion, rebuffed interest in the January window that season and again last summer, then signed a long-term deal after a difficult Hibernian loan. Limited minutes this year have proved frustrating despite the club’s Europa League qualification.

European football will add games, yet his priority is regular minutes and continued progress with Spain, where he has 10 under-21 caps. Any move must work for Sunderland, who signed him from Sochaux in 2023, with a sale likely to deliver profit and any loan expected to carry a significant fee and favourable terms.

The Black Cats have not tended to block exits when the deal is right, though how Florent Ghisolfi handles such cases remains to be seen. As things stand, Mayenda appears set on a new challenge.

Source: Sunderland Echo