"A chance" - Sunderland AFC sent clear Eliezer Mayenda demand as Premier League exit fears arise | OneFootball

FLW's Sunderland fan pundit discussed a potential departure for Eliezer Mayenda, who has earned top-flight transfer interest in recent times

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Sunderland are accustomed to transfer speculation surrounding the likes of Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg but they may now face an impending battle to retain Eliezer Mayenda, who has garnered reported interest from Premier League clubs in recent times.

Mayenda moved to the Stadium of Light from French side Sochaux in the summer of 2023 and endured a difficult first season with the club amid an underwhelming loan stint in Scotland with Hibernian.

However, the 19-year-old is one of a number of Sunderland players to have grown in importance and output following the summer appointment of Regis Le Bris, who has taken Mayenda to another level this term. Mayenda has returned seven goals and five assists from 29 matches and just 18 starts, and has been keeping top scorer Wilson Isidor out of the side as of late.

The Spaniard's impact had been going somewhat under the radar but that's no longer the case. As per a recent report from Spanish outlet Hoy Aragón, the forward is attracting interest from domestic and continental top-flight sides.

Sunderland will be in line to collect a significant fee and profit for Mayenda, who joined for just over €1 million (£843,000) and remains under contract until 2028. However, the Black Cats could find it difficult to retain his services if they fall short of achieving promotion at the end of the season and have been advised to take action in order to keep hold of Mayenda this summer.

Sunderland AFC transfer verdict offered on Eliezer Mayenda

FLW asked our Sunderland fan pundit, Jordan Newcombe, if he believes there is any chance of Mayenda leaving the club over the summer.

Jordan thinks there is "a chance" Mayenda will stay put, but believes the club may need to offer a new contract to amply convince the in-demand striker.

"Mayenda, obviously with him getting interest from Premier League clubs, I do think there will be a chance he stays at Sunderland," Jordan told FLW.

"He's just finding his feet here, he's done well. He's getting goals in most games now, his confidence is high and the team, supporters and gaffer all love him.

"I think there's much more potential for Mayenda to get out in the Premier League with Sunderland if we manage to get up or, if we stay down and keep him, it's a massive thing because he's now shown he's a proven striker and can score under pressure.

"He can score goals and knows what to do, he stays composed as much as he can.

"There is a chance he can stay if we offer him a new contract, and we'll have to see what happens whether we go up or not,"

Retaining Eliezer Mayenda must be Sunderland AFC summer transfer priority

Make no mistake about it, Sunderland are going to face extreme difficulty in retaining a host of their prized assets if Le Bris fails to lead the club to promotion.

The likes of Jobe and Rigg have both been linked with moves away for some time and, at least in the case of the former, are surely unlikely to see out another season in the Championship. Sunderland are all-but-set to seal a play-off finish but have spurned their opportunity to realistically contend for automatic promotion, adding further challenge to their retention hopes.

They may be powerless to prevent the midfield duo from leaving Wearside, though the Black Cats simply must fight tooth and nail to get another season out of Mayenda - even if that means offering a new contract with a significant pay rise.

The teenage striker has enjoyed a stunning trajectory in red and white this term and has gone from strength-to-strength over the last few weeks in particular, which means he's only going to get better and could take the Championship by storm next time out.

There is also the risk of losing Isidor, who only signed permanently back in January, and Mayenda has now proved he's capable of consistently leading the line for a promotion-chasing Championship outfit. They can't afford to lose him and need to do everything in their power to avoid such a scenario.