underland remain on the lookout for a new striker in the window, but Eliezer Mayenda has been backed to make an impact until that new number nine arrives.
The Black Cats endured a miserable campaign last time out, where they ultimately finished 16th in the Championship, and a lack of goals, aside from Jack Clarke, was seen as a reason for that.
| Championship standings 2023/24 | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 9 | Coventry City | 46 | 11 | 64 |
| 10 | Preston North End | 46 | -11 | 63 |
| 11 | Bristol City | 46 | 2 | 62 |
| 12 | Cardiff City | 46 | -17 | 62 |
| 13 | Millwall | 46 | -10 | 59 |
| 14 | Swansea City | 46 | -6 | 57 |
| 15 | Watford | 46 | 0 | 56 |
| 16 | Sunderland | 46 | -2 | 56 |
Therefore, many want a striker through the door, but despite several links, nothing has yet materialised.
Sunderland striker search remains ongoing
Yet, speaking to FLW, Sunderland fan pundit Travis explained that whilst it is a worry, they have potential internal solutions, as he stressed the need to bring in the right man.
“I think all Sunderland fans continue to be concerned about the striker situation. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that we don’t have a striker, but we don’t have a goalscorer, with Rusyn and Hemer scoring very few goals last year.
“There are reasons to be optimistic though. Firstly, we have been linked with a lot of good strikers, including Ike Ugbo, even if it looks as though he might go to Sheffield Wednesday. Then there’s Alexandre Mendy as well, who has told the French media he would like to move and come to Sunderland.
“He has been prolific for the past three years in Ligue 2, and he would be the perfect fit. He would give players like Clarke and Roberts another outlet, rather than having to keep cutting inside and taking on a player.
“We became far too predictable, and that’s why Roberts wasn’t too convincing last season, as defenders knew exactly what he was going to do.”
As well as that, he highlighted Mayenda as someone who could emerge as a useful option this season after a promising pre-season under new boss Regis Le Bris.
“Another reason we should be optimistic is Eliezer Mayenda. In pre-season, he looked very good. He’s a young player, with energy, and he has shown positive signs and appears to be fitting in well in Regis Le Bris’ system.
“We’ll have to see how he gets on against Cardiff, as it doesn’t look like a new striker will come in, and even if they did, they probably wouldn’t start.
“So, Mayenda will get a chance in those early games to see how he adapts to the Championship.
“Finally, I think we have played our best football over the years at this level without a recognised striker – which was under Tony Mowbray, with inside forwards. We weren’t promoted because we had too many injuries, it wasn’t to do with not having a striker.
“I think this situation has been over pronounced, but no doubt we would feel that little bit more confident if we did bring someone like Ugbo or Mendy in.”
Sunderland still need a proven striker
Premier League clubs continue to monitor Clarke, so there’s a very real prospect that Sunderland could lose their chief goal threat, and that will heighten the need for a goalscorer.
But, regardless, it’s something that needs to be addressed, and, as outlined above, recent links suggest that the club are well aware of that.
Of course, in an ideal world, the new attacker would be through the door already, but it’s not as easy as that in the window, and it’s vital that Sunderland get a proven player in by the end of August.
Eliezer Mayenda has real potential
With Mayenda, most Sunderland fans will echo the thoughts of Travis here, as he has looked sharp in pre-season, and he deserves an opportunity to feature in the early games.
Obviously, it’s only pre-season, but you have to give these talented youngsters a chance at some point, and the 19-year-old may surprise some. Sunderland will still need a new striker, but he could play an increasingly prominent role as the campaign progresses.
Sunderland start their season at Cardiff City on Saturday.
