Forget Jobe and Rigg - Sunderland AFC should have transfer fear over six-goal ace amid Premier League claim | OneFootball

Eliezer Mayenda is a real talent who goes under the radar at Sunderland.

The future is certainly bright for Sunderland, with a whole host of young prospects currently at the Stadium of Light.

Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg take the majority of the plaudits, with the teenage duo being ever-present in Regis Le Bris' midfield this season. However, the array of exciting talent doesn't stop there.

Tommy Watson is the latest to break into the first team after coming through the Academy of Light, and plenty of Sunderland fans warmly welcomed 21-year-old Romaine Mundle back to the starting eleven in their win over Sheffield Wednesday after over three months out with a hamstring injury.

At 23, even their current captain, Dan Neil, is yet to enter what many perceive to be a footballer's prime years.

Sunderland have had the Championship's youngest squad by measure of average age ever since they returned to the division in 2022, with owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus directing a youth-centred approach to recruitment in recent times, and the club's top brass are now beginning to see real reward.

One name which has gone under the radar this season, however, has been Eliezer Mayenda, and after scoring the second brace of his senior career in Sunderland's 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday, perhaps it won't just be Jobe and Rigg who may come under intense transfer rumours in the summer.

Eliezer Mayenda's Sunderland performances have earned Premier League interest

Eliezer Mayenda's breakout season in senior football has been an impressive one.

He made just eight Championship appearances in his maiden season at Sunderland but has been relied on a lot more since the arrival of Regis Le Bris.

His brace in Sunderland's win over Sheffield Wednesday was the second time he's struck twice in one game this season - coincidentally, the first time also came against Wednesday in August. It took his tally to six goals in 16 starts, with five assists in that time also.

Such numbers have started to "arouse the interest" of several Premier League clubs, with European sides also closely following him, according to Spanish outlet Hoy Aragon.

It is not yet clear which teams exactly are interested in Mayenda, but that may do little to ease the fear of losing his services.

Having spent just over €1 million for his services in 2023, he's already looking like someone who Sunderland will be set to make a profit on in the future, with the question being more a when rather than an if.

Retaining Mayenda this summer may be more of a priority than many expected

At the start of the season, many probably weren't expecting Eliezer Mayenda to be the subject of Premier League interest. But, having shown glimpses of his quality throughout the season, Sunderland may have to move quickly to ensure his stay in the north-east isn't a short one.

The onus has been on retaining Jobe and Rigg, who have both been linked with a number of top-flight domestic and continental outfits over the last twelve months. The pair are mightily-important for Sunderland in both the present and in the longer-term, of course, but the Black Cats must also ensure they retain Mayenda's signature beyond this summer with interest now beginning to mount.

Mayenda signed a five-year deal upon his arrival at Sunderland in 2023, so with three years remaining on his deal, there's no danger of losing the 19-year-old for free this summer. It also means they have security over his long-term future and will not be pressured into selling him for a discounted price.

However, with the exciting talent making just £6,500 per week at Sunderland this season, according to Capology, an improved contract may need to be on the cards to fend off off any potential suitors from the Premier League or abroad.

Mayenda may not be Premier League proven just yet, but other sides may be looking at the forward as a project player to develop for the future, just as Sunderland did when they welcomed the young Spaniard to the club when he was 18.