Sunderland have confirmed the sale of striker Eliezer Mayenda to Stade Rennais, ending a three-year stay on Wearside. The 21-year-old has signed a five-year contract at the Ligue 1 club, with the fee reported at around €20m to €25m depending on add-ons — in the region of £19m to £22m. Neither club has published an exact figure, but both have confirmed the deal is done.
Rennes made Mayenda their top attacking target of the summer under new head coach Franck Haise, who wanted a mobile, direct forward to pair with Esteban Lepaul in attack. Mayenda fits that brief: quick over short distances, comfortable running in behind, and happy to drop deep and combine before attacking space himself. Speaking after his medical, he described himself as "a complete striker who likes to take depth, dribble, challenge." Rennes chief executive Arnaud Pouille said the club were "delighted to welcome him and his family to the Rouge et Noir family," while Mayenda said he was "very happy to join Stade Rennais, a big club that was often talked about back at Sochaux" — the French club he joined from before his move to England in 2023.
For Sunderland, this is a significant loss both financially and emotionally. Mayenda made 72 appearances across three seasons on Wearside, scoring 12 goals and adding six assists, but his value to the club went beyond the numbers. He scored the winner against Coventry City in the Championship play-off semi-final in May 2025, then came off the bench to equalise against Sheffield United in the play-off final at Wembley, a goal that set up Sunderland's penalty shoot-out win and their return to the Premier League after eight years away. Selling one of the players most associated with that promotion will sting supporters even as the club banks a sizeable fee for a forward who arrived from Sochaux for a fraction of the price.
His final season at the club was more stop-start. Mayenda made 20 Premier League appearances in Sunderland's first season back in the top flight, scoring twice, largely used as a rotation option and impact substitute rather than a guaranteed starter. His time in England was also interrupted by injury: a hamstring problem delayed his Sunderland debut back in 2023, and he missed games last spring after being taken off for concussion protocols against Blackburn Rovers. None of that dented Rennes' interest, who moved for him regardless once Sunderland's season ended.
At Rennes, Mayenda arrives at a club rebuilding under Haise after a difficult period that saw predecessor Habib Beye leave the role earlier this year. Rennes have European football to plan for next season, and Haise identified a dynamic forward as his priority signing to cope with a heavier fixture list. Mayenda's directness and work rate should suit a team looking to play with tempo, and at 21 he arrives with time to establish himself as a first-choice striker rather than simply squad depth.
It is a move that makes sense for both sides: Rennes get a young, versatile forward with big-game pedigree and room to grow, while Sunderland recoup a healthy profit on a player who delivered one of the most memorable moments in the club's recent history before his role diminished once Premier League football arrived.