Deal agreed: Speakman set to sign “strong” £1m gem for Sunderland, imagine him & Dack – opinion
The Black Cats are reportedly closing in on another new addition to their squad…
Sunderland: Imagine Eliezer Mayenda and Dack
A major update has emerged on Sunderland’s pursuit of another centre-forward option to add to Tony Mowbray’s arsenal ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…
What’s the latest Sunderland transfer news?
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Black Cats have agreed a deal with Sochaux to sign Spanish striker Eliezer Mayenda.
The reporter has claimed that the 18-year-old prodigy will sign with the Championship outfit on Friday, with sporting director Kristjaan Speakman now on the verge of completing the side’s sixth piece of incoming business during the summer transfer window.
It has been reported, by The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, that the club are set to pay a fee within the region of €1.2m (£1m) for his services.
He will join Jenson Seelt, Jobe Bellingham, Bradley Dack, Luis Semedo, and Nectarios Triantis as one of the fresh faces at the Stadium of Light next season.
How many goals did Eliezer Mayenda score last season?
The talented teenager scored one goal in 15 Ligue 2 appearances for his team, which is not an impressive return from the Spanish dynamo at face value.
However, the left-footed prospect only started one match for Sochaux and played 285 minutes in total. This means that he did not get much time on the pitch to make an impact but was still able to net his first professional goal.
Mayenda would arrive as Sunderland’s only striker with senior experience under his belt ahead of the opening day clash with Ipswich Town, as Semedo is yet to play a competitive first-team game in his career and Ross Stewart will not be fit in time to feature.
This could result in him being tasked with leading the line against the Tractor Boys and Mowbray could help him out by starting new signing Dack, who arrived on a free transfer on Thursday, alongside him.
The former Blackburn Rovers magician is an experienced Championship campaigner who could help the teenage ace through the match, whilst also having the quality to strike up an excellent partnership with him.
Dack, who scored seven goals in 34 games last season, racked up 57 goals and 28 assists across 173 outings for his last club and has played 116 second-tier clashes throughout his career.
The 29-year-old has scored nine or more league goals in five seasons at Championship and League One level combined, which suggests that he has the potential to be a huge goal threat for Sunderland, as only Amad Diallo (14) and Stewart (ten) hit double figures last term.
These statistics indicate that Dack could be a dream attacking midfielder to deploy behind Mayenda on the opening day as his experience and quality could ease the pressure off the 18-year-old talent’s shoulders.
The Sochaux marksman, who was hailed as “strong” by journalist Josh Bunting, scored three goals in five outings for his current side’s B team last season but there is no guarantee that he will be able to translate that form over to senior football in England.
Therefore, playing him in front of a proven Championship performer who knows how to find the back of the net could be the dream scenario for Mayenda. Dack could provide the Spain U17 international with someone to lean and rely on throughout the game, in order to help him settle into life at that level.
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