Sunderland

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Sunderland striker Eliezer Mayenda has signed a new long-term contract that will commit him to the club until 2030.

The 20-year-old, who signed from Sochaux in July 2023, scored 10 goals last season and helped the Black Cats seal their return to the Premier League with goals in the play-off semi-final and final.

"I'm very happy to sign a new contract," Mayenda said. "I think everybody knows that for me, this is my team, my club, my city – so it's a special moment.

"Sunderland fans are very, very special. I think they're among the best in England. Playing at the Stadium of Light is always incredible.

"So, if I have one message, it's to keep going like that. I feel amazing every time I step on the pitch."

How important is this news for Sunderland?

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Sunderland have signed teenage Chelsea forward Marc Guiu on a season-long loan.

The Spaniard, now 19, moved to Stamford Bridge for £5m from Barcelona in July 2024 and made 16 appearances last season, scoring six goals in the Conference League.

Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, former Black Cats striker Marco Gabbiadini said loan deals of this ilk have worked well for the club in the past.

He said: "There's been a lot of interest from other clubs, bit of a buzz about him. He's clearly not someone with a proven track record, but teams have been monitoring him for many a year.

"Now he needs to prove himself and make the step up to being a regular starter in the Premier League to further his career.

"It's a player who will come with good motivation, and we've seen in the past it's the type of deal Sunderland have benefited from. I hope this is the same case.

"He's a big, powerful player, someone with a good physical presence, which is something we need to improve on at the club.

"We don't know too much about him, but I hope he comes in and makes himself popular with the fans."

Listen to the full clip on BBC Sounds

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Danielle Sarver Coombs

When it comes to our love for a football club, the answer to why we do lies in "both psychological and societal" reasons.

In the first part of her chat with BBC Sport, researcher and co-writer of the Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom Danielle Sarver Coombs spoke about the part that identity and tradition play.

And yet when we are caught up in the emotions of a tough defeat or nerves of an important match, we can often ask why we put ourselves through it.

"There are psychological processes at work and physiological ones in terms of how we respond and engage," Sarver Coombs said.

"An example that I always give is when I take the train to work, I go past Arsenal's stadium and I feel literally nothing other than: 'Oh, that's a big building'. Whereas on a train to Manchester, I went by Villa Park and my heart started pounding. I got all excited and was trying to take pictures out the window.

"I had a visceral reaction to this place. We can't pretend we don't have that sort of physical reaction because we do.

"When someone is talking about a controversial decision and I feel myself getting wound up, even though I intellectually know that I can't control it and that it's just a game, my body doesn't know that.

"My gut doesn't know that and so I have this really emotional response and we can't control that."

A 2023 book titled 'Football on the brain: why minds love sport, external' suggests it comes down to 'an understandable and logical consequence of the human mind's natural inclination to find meaning through beliefs... It's a religion as far as the brain is concerned'.

But it not just about what is going on inside the mind but outside influences too.

"There is a sociological element to it because the community part is such a huge driver and benefit for us," Sarver Coombs explains.

"Sociologically, we are driven to be part of communities. We are driven to find our groups that we can be members of. Sport provides a way to do that - this sense that I was chosen to be part of this community and it's something bigger than I am."

As the game expands, unrest among supporters seems to be increasing, but how does that impact this ingrained love for a club?

"You always go through these cycles when the game is changing," Sarver Coombs said.

"Despite all the changes, the traditions remain so strong and it's such a huge draw that it becomes really hard to actually separate yourself from it. Even if you do, it tends to be a short-term separation. You get sucked back in because something happens.

"People don't want that change, but then we adapt to it and continue moving forward."

Browse this page to see lots of fan stories for how you fell in love with your club.

And check out those from other Premier League teams over here

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Striker Marc Guiu has said sees his time at Sunderland as "a huge opportunity" after sealing a season-long loan move from Chelsea.

The 19-year-old Barcelona academy graduate scored six goals in 16 appearances for Enzo Maresca's side after arriving from the La Liga giants for £5m last summer.

He becomes the Black Cats' ninth signing of the transfer window.

"I'm feeling great and really looking forward to the season ahead," Guiu told Sunderland club media.

"I see myself as a powerful striker who can make a difference on and off the ball, and I pride myself on being a natural goalscorer.

"This year is a huge opportunity for me to help take this team where it truly deserves to be."

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman added: "In a loan acquisition, we not only have to convince the player but also the parent club, and we thank Chelsea for placing their trust in us.

"Most importantly, Marc wanted to come to Sunderland and be a part of our club. The competition for his signature was significant and he had many high-quality options.

"Marc's a progressive striker who has key attributes that align with the role in our team."

This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos for why you fell in love with Sunderland.

Here is a selection of your submissions:

Colin: In 2001, I got the chance to live the dream and sign for my beloved club, winning a competition they ran called 'one of the lads' to help launch the new Sunderland website. My nickname was Magic Cosha.

I was unveiled on Sky Sports with Peter Reid by my side, went on Soccer AM, got to socialise and train with the players. My squad number was 73. It was an incredible year.

Send us your pictures and stories here

Joshua: Our final season in the Premier League, my mother took me to games and the team was awful to watch. One time, I fell asleep in the stadium. After another relegation, I almost lost interest in football until Kyril took over the club. Afterwards, I saw us promoted to the Championship and I knew the Black Cats would roar again in the Premier League.

After the greatest play-off campaign of all time, I am looking forward to the relegation fight in the top flight and believe the team is good enough after a great summer transfer window. I won't fall asleep this season!

Opta's Supercomputer has once again predicted the upcoming 2025-26 Premier League season by using a model to simulate every match 10,000 times.

Image source, Opta

After only happening once in Premier League history beforehand, and not since 1997-98, all three promoted teams have gone straight back down in each of the past two seasons.

Unsurprisingly then, Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland are ranked as the likeliest trio to be relegated by the Supercomputer's model next year - with the Black Cats the only team notto win the title in any of the supercomputer's 10,000 simulations.

Championship play-off winners Sunderland are also relegated the most often of all 20 teams, going down in 66.4% of simulations.

Their fellow Premier League newboys are actually deemed to survive slightly more often than not, with Daniel Farke's side going down in 48.1% of sims, while Scott Parker's Clarets doing so in 45.9%.

As for Wolves, they had a dismal start to last season but improved significantly once Vitor Pereira arrived. Losing Matheus Cunha is a big blow however, and the Old Gold are fourth favourites to go down according to the supercomputer - doing so in 26.4% of sims.

Similarly, Graham Potter's West Ham have sold a key player this summer after Mohammed Kudus switched to Tottenham.

Potter will back himself to get a better tune out of his side after his first pre-season with them, but West Ham are still relegated in 22% of simulations.

Read Opta's full Supercomputer breakdown here, external

Sunderland are keen to sign former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer, although the 28-year-old Englishman wants to wait to see if any other Premier League clubs are interested. (Talksport), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos for why you fell in love with Sunderland.

Here is a selection of your submissions:

Andrew: Growing up in west Cumbria where rugby league ruled, I never really had a football team, but I happened to be a student in Sunderland when they played and won an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea in 1992.

I was at a house party where the majority were listening to the match on the radio. As soon as Gordon Armstrong's header went in the whole place erupted.

I've been addicted ever since.

Send us your pictures and stories here

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

'Why did you fall in love with your club?'

This week, we have asked hundreds of football fans across the world that very question and got hundreds of different answers.

Yes, the themes might be similar - born near a ground; family supported the team; watched a certain player - but the individual story will be unique to each supporter.

The relationship between a fan and their club should not be underestimated, with people ploughing uncountable amounts of money, time and emotional energy into their support for their team.

But what is that makes us love our clubs the way we do?

"A lot of it comes down to our identity," researcher and co-writer of the Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom Danielle Sarver Coombs told BBC Sport.

"We become part of this group that means so much to us. It becomes a way to find a community that you're a part of and to find a group of people that, no matter where you are, you could find a pub with other fans of your team. You have that kinship.

"In a world that's increasingly quite lonely, this provides one of the ways that we can have connections so we can have the feeling that we're part of something bigger."

Connection and identity plays a big role in someone's love for their club - particularly when it is a family link.

Many fans talk of being born into who they support - that the connection is so strong there was no other team they could, or would, have chosen.

"The great thing with football is that there's such a strong heritage component to it," Sarver Coombs said. "Often, your grandfather, father, mother or whomever was a fan of the team, so it's part of your family's tradition.

"It's handed down from generation to generation."

The uniqueness of football fandom is something researchers are increasingly investigating.

An article, external published earlier this year in psychology journal Frontiers discusses how football fans often follow follow teams with 'significant attachment and commitment, sometimes to the bewilderment of those outside of the game'.

"With football clubs, you have decades of tradition that you can tap into and it's going to keep coming," Sarver Coombs added.

"Players come and go, managers come and go, shirts change, badges change, but the club itself - the heart and soul of it remains constant. You always have that piece that you're tied to, so the longevity of clubs is a really important part.

"But also, that constant in-person opportunity to be present in a community space really sets football apart from other passions that may be transient or do not have that constant engagement."

Share your story in our My Club My Passion campaign

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Regis le Bris' new contract "protects" Sunderland going forward, says former striker Marco Gabbiadini.

Le Bris signed a new three-year deal on Monday as the Black Cats continue preparations for their return to the Premier League.

The Frenchman has been with the club just over 12 months and brought success in his first season in charge by winning the Championship play-off final and ensuring top-flight football returns to the Stadium of Light after an eight-year absence.

"All positive. It has been a positive summer of transactions so it follows the trend," Gabbiadini told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"It protects the club. You see the likes of a Spurs or a West Ham and those sorts of clubs, if they have a slow start they are always in the hunt for any up and coming talent and he would fit that bill.

"So it protects the club that we have got him under contract and also rewards him I'm sure for his success with the club last season.

"There is still no doubt in my mind it is going to be a very difficult season and it will be interesting to see how that progresses. We see so often newly promoted teams changing their manager after a slow start to the campaign but hopefully Sunderland are a little bit more patient and little more considered in the way that we do that.

"Hopefully we look forward to a real calm time with the manager because we have been through a lot over the past seven or eight years."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your views on Regis Le Bris signing a new three-year contract at the Stadium of Light.

Here are some of your comments:

Owen: Thank god we've extended his contract. Did very well last season and helped develop players such as Rigg, Jobe and Ballard as well as bringing in players such as Isidor. Here's to another three years of Regis.

John: He deserves the contract. He really has a connection and a full understanding of the people who live in Sunderland and all the supporters globally.

Colin: Le Bris Has done well so far getting us to the Premier League, now the big test of his credentials starts against West Ham and for the rest of the season. Then we will know just how good he is.

Derek: It is a reward which is very well deserved. He has achieved things with the team that many, including me, had doubts about when he was appointed.

Arthur: Well deserved! An intelligent, modest man but is showing he can be ruthless in his aims.

John: Cracking news. He's done a great job.

Sunderland head coach Regis le Bris says he can "feel the energy and intent to push forwards" after signing a new three-year contract with the club.

The Frenchman has been rewarded for guiding the team into the Premier League via the Championship play-offs after an eight-year absence.

Le Bris joined the Black Cats in June 2024 and has managed 51 games, winning 23, drawing 14 and losing just 14.

"The connection I have with the staff, players, and supporters has been natural, and we shared many great moments together," he told club media.

"The collective ambition is there to see and now, there is a desire to become stronger. I can feel the energy and intent to push forward, and we need that in the next challenges we will face.

"In every part of the organisation, everyone has their part to play, and we are all aligned."

Sunderland have backed their head coach so far this summer with eight new signings and get their league campaign under way at home to West Ham on Saturday, 16 August.

Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman added: "Like every Sunderland supporter, I'm delighted we are announcing this contract extension for Regis. It provides clarity going into the Premier League season, but more importantly it recognises his contribution and continued commitment to the club.

"Regis has an unrelenting desire for progression that matches our own and we look forward to continuing our partnership throughout the upcoming season."

How are you feeling about the news?

How far can Le Bris take the Black Cats?

Get in touch here

Derby County boss John Eustace says Sunderland midfielder Nectar Triantis is not on his transfer radar despite rumours circulating about a possible move for the Australian.

"That's not a name I've been speaking about with the club. I think his agent might be putting that out there," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby after the side's 2-0 pre-season victory over Atromitos on Saturday.

"He's a good player but he's not somebody that, at the moment, we are looking at."

The Rams may find themselves a little lighter defensively as they prepare for their opening Championship game against Stoke City on Saturday (15:00 BST), with Eustace unsure if left-back Owen Beck and defender Matt Clarke will be fit in time.

The 45-year-old added: "They've had slight injury niggles so we will have to see if they will be available for next week.

"But Jake Rooney has stepped in, he's done well today."

Listen to the full post-match interview with Eustace and more on BBC Sounds.

We know the relationship between a football fan and their club is a special one so, as we gear up for the new season, we asked you to share why you fell in love with Sunderland and some of your favourite moments supporting them.

Bill: My grandad took me to my first football match in 1957-58 when I was seven years old. We stood in the Fulwell End at Roker Park. That was the season. We were relegated for the first time.

I have followed the club ever since. One of my first memories was of a miserable old man complaining that he had followed the club for 50 years and their only trophy was the FA Cup in 1973.

I had a season ticket for many years but had to give it up due to my age. I remember in my last season at the Stadium of Light that I was complaining to the person in the next seat that the only trophy we had won was the FA Cup in 1973.

I had become that miserable old man.

Image source, Getty Images

Regis le Bris says Sunderland "need time" to bed in the summer signings but believes their potential for this season is already evident given the experience they have added.

The Black Cats fell to a 1-0 defeat by La Liga opponents Real Betis at Stadium of Light on Saturday in their sixth pre-season friendly but Le Bris was still encouraged by what he saw.

"We're adding new building blocks with three new players in the squad, who have a bit more maturity and experience," the Sunderland boss told BBC Radio Newcastle. "We need time because it's not easy.

"Granit Xhaka brings maturity and a level of confidence to the squad. That was in our plan.

"We started the recruitment window with talented young players, but we can't step up [to the Premier League] with just skills.

"You need experience and we felt the immediate difference in this game, so now it is about sharing experiences.

"We are building a new squad and I think the quality is here, so now it is about balance and adding new building blocks progressively."

Sunderland travel to Germany next, where they will face Augsburg and Rayo Vallecano before they kick-off the Premier League season against West Ham.

Listen on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your feelings about the upcoming season after Sunderland lost 1-0 to Real Betis in a pre-season friendly at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

New signing Granit Xhaka impressed but the Black Cats recorded their fourth defeat in six pre-season games.

Here are some of your comments:

Bob: Pleased with the passing, bit of a weakness on the left side in defence and oh how we need a striker.

Rusty: I don't know. I just don't know...if I knew I'd be walking away with the winning lottery numbers every week. I'm half hope and half trepidation - is this normal for a promoted side? Hang on, this isn't that promoted side that got us up with blood, sweat and tears - it's an almost entirely brand new team! So, it's going to come down to coaching plans, strategies, getting these strangers to gel ASAP, understand each other and keep us in this division. Can we do a Leicester? Who knows? It's been done before and any new side can take the regulars by surprise sometimes. Can we compete and survive or fight and fail? Right now it's all just hoping. I've wanted us to at least thrash one side and have an exciting attacking style but it's been workmanlike (boring) in pre-season and I just don't know. Ask the question at Christmas.

Nigel: Too early to judge but great to see new signings. Let's get a win next Sunday.

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland went down 1-0 to Real Betis at the Stadium of Light as a late Aitor Ruibal goal secured the Spanish side a friendly win.

Regis le Bris made three changes to his side, with Granit Xhaka, Robin Roefs, and Reinildo making their first appearances for the club.

Simon Adingra saw a goal disallowed on a day where the Black Cats extended their winless run in recent matches.

Their summer record reads four defeats, a draw and a win over South Shields.

Were you at the game? How are you feeling about the season to come?

Speaking on BBC Radio Newcastle, former Sunderland defender Gary Bennett said: There are a lot of positives to come out of the game. The goalkeeper is a big plus if you go off this game, he is very confident with the ball at his feet, confident commanding his box.

"Xhaka was quality, absolute quality, dictating the play. That is the standard everyone has to get up to. Getting on the ball, his passes, his weight of pass, his decision making was excellent.

"The problem for Le Bris is which three you play in there. You have Le Fee, Sadiki, Diarra, Xhaka, you have to pick three of them four."

Listen to Bennett and Nick Barnes here

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Sunderland have confirmed the departure of assistant head coach Pedro Ribeiro.

The 39-year-old moved to Wearside in October 2024 to join head coach Regis le Bris' first-team backroom staff.

Ribeiro played a role in the Black Cats' promotion back to the Premier League, after achieving a fourth-place Championship finish last season.

Le Bris' coaching team has undergone a restructure this summer, with Luciano Vulcano being announced as the new assistant head coach, Isidre Ramon Madir coming in as an assistant coach and Neil Cutler joining as a goalkeeping coach at the start of July.

The club said Ribeiro had agreed to "mutually part ways", adding in a statement: "We thank him for his contribution to the club and for the role he played in our promotion-winning campaign.

"Everyone at the Academy of Light wishes him well in the next chapter of his career."

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland have signed Dutch goalkeeper Robin Roefs from Eredivisie side NEC Nijmegen for an undisclosed fee.

The 22-year-old has penned a five-year contract to link up with the Premier League newcomers.

Roefs made 32 appearances and kept 10 clean sheets last season, as NEC Nijmegen claimed a spot in the 2025-26 Europa Conference League with an eighth-place finish in the Dutch top-flight.

He has also represented the Netherlands national team at Under-21 level.

"It feels really good to have signed for Sunderland," the shot-stopper told the club website, external.

"Joining such a big club with a rich history is a proud moment for me and I'm excited for the challenge ahead in the Premier League.

"Last season was my first real experience as a senior goalkeeper and I was happy with how it went, especially with the stats at the end of the campaign."

Roefs becomes head coach Regis le Bris' eighth signing of the summer.

Image source, Toni

On Monday, we asked you to tell us why you fell in love with Sunderland and some of your favourite moments supporting them.

You have already been getting in touch with your photos and stories and here is just a taste from Toni:

"My family live in Blackpool. My dad was an avid Sunderland fan his whole life but did work away for long periods. To my dad's joy, I got a place at Sunderland University, which gave him a great reason to get a season ticket to see the boys. I got taken along for the ride.

"Seeing what the club means to the people of Sunderland, what a hold on the players that it has and the lasting effects it has on players made me proud to be called a Sunderland fan.

"Unfortunately in 2014, my dad discovered he had cancer and he made me promise one thing - if I were to have children, make sure they are red and white. Fast forward a couple of years, my daughter went to her first match when she was two and has her own season ticket.

"We travel from Blackpool most weekends and wouldn't have it any other way. Wembley was the highlight for both of us and we cannot wait for the season ahead."

Join the conversation and send your best photos about why you love Sunderland.

Your first visit to the stadium? A special kit? An amazing away trip?

Send us your pictures and stories

Sunderland have reached an agreement with NEC Nijmegen for Dutch goalkeeper Robin Roefs, with the 22-year-old expected to sign a five-year contract to join the Premier League newcomers. (Athletic - subscription required), external

Want more transfer news? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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