Sunderland striker Eliezer Mayenda continues to find himself at the centre of transfer speculation. However, the latest claims appear to raise more questions than answers.
Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio now reports Real Betis have joined Porto and Stade Rennais in the race for the Sunderland forward. The La Liga side are said to be accelerating contacts in an attempt to beat the competition.
He also claims Betis had already been tracking the striker before stepping up their interest.
Di Marzio goes further than previous reports by insisting Porto are “pushing hard” for Mayenda and that has been confirmed by multiple sources.
However, over the past 24 hours, the three main Portuguese newspapers have independently dismissed claims that Porto are pursuing Mayenda. The outlets insisted he is not part of Porto’s attacking shortlist. In addition, no negotiations have been opened with Sunderland.
That leaves one of the three clubs named by Di Marzio already contradicted by multiple sources in the country concerned.
Spain remains quiet
The Betis angle also arrives without any significant support from Spain. Di Marzio claims the La Liga side have intensified contacts after previously following the Sunderland player.
However, there has been little or no reporting from the Spanish media to suggest the club are actively working on a deal.
That contrasts with Stade Rennais. Last month, reports claimed Mayenda had attracted interest from “several ambitious European clubs”. Of these, Rennes were the only side identified by name.
The Ligue 1 club have continued to crop up in reports since then. This makes them the one consistent thread throughout the speculation.
Pressure on Rennes?
From Sunderland’s perspective, the latest update does little to strengthen the overall transfer picture.
Instead, it broadens the list of supposed suitors despite the Porto claims already being rejected twice and the Betis story lacking corroboration in Spain.
That naturally raises the possibility that the expanding list of interested clubs is designed to increase pressure on Rennes, who remain the only club consistently linked with Mayenda across multiple reports.
For now, the French side remain the only destination with sustained backing, while the Porto and Betis claims still have little evidence behind them.
