Eliezer Mayenda

Key strength: Link-up play

Target man

At Sunderland AFC, where the Black Cats sit 13th in the Championship table riding a five-match unbeaten streak (WWDDL), one of English football's most tantalizing young prospects waits in the wings. Eliezer Mayenda, the 21-year-old Spanish centre-forward snapped up from Toulouse in July 2023 for a modest fee, now commands a staggering €22 million market value—a figure that screams elite potential despite limited exposure. In 20 appearances totaling 935 minutes, Mayenda has registered a modest 2 goals and 1 assist—numbers that tell only part of the story. His blend of blistering pace (66), sharp dribbling ability (66), and raw physicality makes him a weapon primed for the rough-and-tumble Championship. Yet Tony Mowbray has kept him largely sheltered, perhaps protecting a diamond that needs polishing. For a Sunderland side seeking attacking impetus to break into the playoff race, Mayenda offers something different: a target man with the close control to link play and the acceleration to stretch defenses. The Black Cats paid for potential in 2023. The question now is when they cash in on it.