Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has struck gold as Eliezer Mayenda edges towards Sunderland exit

Eliezer Mayenda is a controversial figure at Sunderland, but not due to a lack of passion or ability at the Stadium of Light.

The 21-year-old only arrived at the club on an £880,000 deal in the summer of 2023, even being loaned to Hibernian for th second half of 2023-24.

During the Black Cats' promotion-winning campaign, he was integral to the team's success, notching 10 goals and five assists in the Championship.

Fast-forward one year, however, and he has only added three goal contributions to his name, one of which came in the FA Cup.

The controversy has emerged from Regis Le Bris' use, or lackthereof, of the centre-forward, having only given him eight starts in the Premier League last term.

Many have argued that Mayenda deserves a much bigger chance to prove himself at the top level, while others are entirely unconvinced by his ability.

Sunderland fans stunned by Eliezer Mayenda fee

Fortunately, the fanbase are unlikely to be divided by this argument for much longer, with all signs pointing towards the exit door for the Spanish youth international.

According to Matteo Moretto, Mayenda is on the verge of joining FC Porto this summer, and supporters can't quite believe for how much.

Several reports have suggested that the Black Cats are about to bank £25million from the player's sale. To put it into context, that's a rise of over 212 per cent.

That is some incredibly shrewd business from Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and those behind the scenes, as Sunderland continue to battle through the transfer window.

The player will forever be remembered for his role in the Black Cats' promotion season, but with Europa League secured, Le Bris needs reinforcements and upgrades this summer.

Regis Le Bris could be about to lose integral star

The squad could be about the change drastically, given that many of the players are the same ones who won promotion all the way from League One.

It doesn't look like Arthur Masuaku or Lutsharel Geertruida are returning permanently after their loan deals, and now Granit Xhaka could be on the move.

Mick Brown told Football Insider that Sunderland are doing everything to keep the midfield maestro amid strong interest from Chelsea.

He worked closely with Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, which has fans extremely worried that a deal will, in fact, go through ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.