Marc Guiu v Eliezer Mayenda: Who will lead the line for Sunderland?
Sunderland are closing in on their ninth summer arrival after reaching an agreement for Marc Guiu.
Sunderland are on the verge of Premier League history with their summer spending so far, and have shown no signs of stopping there.
An agreement was reached with Chelsea for the loan signing of Guiu, who is due on Wearside to undergo a medical ahead of the move.
However, his arrival would see him compete with Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor for the starting spot at the Black Cats, and the comparisons are interesting.
Sunderland face new striker dilemma
Mayenda was a surprise star of the promotion-winning campaign, but he has failed to impress throughout Sunderland’s pre-season.
It was obvious that a new striker would be needed, and it seems as though Guiu will be that addition ahead of the Black Cats’ return to the Premier League and the comparison between the two serves as quite a contrast.
Via FotMob, Mayenda averaged 0.4 xG per 90 in the Championship, while Guiu recorded an average of 1.89 in the UEFA Conference League.
| Sunderland | Games | Starts | Goals | Assists |
| Mayenda | 37 | 22 | 8 | 5 |
Of course, the sample size is vastly different, but the law of averages still serves as a good indication as to what Sunderland will be getting with Guiu.
Mayenda seems better in transition, with 2.09 completed dribbles per 90, compared to Guiu’s 1.26, though the latter has a significantly better completion rate.
Perhaps the biggest difference is the touches in the box per 90, with Guiu recording 3.27 more than Mayenda for that statistic, showcasing his natural poaching instinct.
Final verdict: Regis Le Bris can be fluid
Ultimately, it will depend on the situation that Sunderland are in when it comes to deciding who better suits this team.
In a game where the Black Cats are on the back foot and need to break quickly, it seems like Mayenda would be more suited, though Guiu’s tendencies of being in the right place at the right time could prove to be decisive.
With that said, having the option between the two and Wilson Isidor is a good problem to have for Regis Le Bris.
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