Every Sunderland AFC striker's estimated weekly wage - Eliezer Mayenda on £6,500-a-week | OneFootball

A closer look at the estimated weekly wages of Sunderland's strikers, with all of them earning under £10,000-a-week.

Sunderland's wage bill is a clear indication of the careful structure that has been implemented by the club since Kyril Louis Dreyfus' takeover.

When the Black Cats were relegated from the Premier League in 2017, players like Jack Rodwell were earning wages of £70,000-a-week - such wages are unsustainable in the Championship.

Since Louis-Dreyfus took over, there has been a seismic shift in the wage structure at the club, but the Wearsiders are proving that you do not need to spend big to be successful in English football's second tier.

Refusing to pay over the odds for players is a strategy that is paying dividends for Sunderland, and as we analyse their strikers' earnings, the hierarchy should be praised for saving the club millions.

Ahmed Abdullahi was one of several players who arrived on Wearside on deadline day, along with Chris Mepham, Milan Aleksic and Salis Abdul Samed.

Shortly after signing for the club, it was revealed that Abdullahi required surgery on a groin issue the player had been suffering with. Although the club were aware of the issue, they opted to go ahead with the transfer, but fans will not see the striker in red and white until December at the earliest.

According to Capology, the 20-year-old is Sunderland's lowest earning striker at £2,000-a-week.

2 Eliezer Mayenda - £6.5k-a-week

Eliezer Mayenda has emerged as Regis Le Bris' first choice striker this season despite only making eight first team appearances for the club last season.

The 19-yeear-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Hibernian but only made four appearances across all competitions.

After six Championship matches, the Spaniard has contributed two goals and two assists and has impressed with his hold-up play and smart finishing.

Mayenda currently earns £6,500-a-week, according to Capology, and has just under four years remaining on his current deal at the Stadium of Light.

3 Wilson Isidor - £8.5k-a-week

Wilson Isidor arrived at the Stadium of Light from Zenit St Petersburg on a season-long loan deal. Sunderland hold the option to make the transfer permanent if he were to be a success on Wearside.

Isidor worked under Le Bris during his time at Stade Reannais FC and also had spells at Monaco and Lokomotiv Moscow.

Since signing for Sunderland, Isidor has made three Championship appearances as a substitute and can play as a striker or on the wing.

According to Capology, the 24-year-old is currently earning £8,500-a-week, although it is unknown how much of his wage has been picked up by Sunderland.

4 Nazariy Rusyn - £9k-a-week

Prior to Aleksic's arrival, Nazariy Rusyn's transfer from Zorya Lugansk represented the highest fee spent on a player during the Louis-Dreyfus era at a reported £2.5m, as per Football 24.

Despite the transfer fee, the striker has failed to make a goal-scoring impact at the Stadium of Light but has never been short of effort in his performances.

The 25-year-old contributed two goals and one assist in 21 Championship appearances last season but has fallen down the pecking order under Le Bris. This season, Rusyn has made four league appearances, but they have all been from the bench.

According to Capology, Rusyn is the highest earning striker at the club and is currently earning £9,000-a-week. The forward has less than three years remaining on his contract, which expires in 2027.

Sunderland currently have a controlled wage structure at the club, with the highest earning permanent player making £15,000-a-week, according to Capology.

Often it is strikers who earn the most at a football club, given that they contribute goals to the team, but the Wearsiders do not have a long-term established forward in their ranks. Indeed, this is why their strikers do not make up the top earners at the club.

With all the club's strikers earning under £10,000-a-week, the Sunderland hierarchy should be praised for implementing a financial model that is not restricting results on the pitch.