 |
Striker
Josh Maja |
| Position |
Striker |
| P.O.B. |
Lewisham,
England |
| D.O.B |
27:12:98 |
| Height |
5' 11 |
| Last Club |
Bordeaux
|
|
His Wiki page |
Fulham completed the loan signing of Bordeaux striker Josh Maja late on deadline day.
The Cottagers have been looking to bring in a frontman on loan this window and Maja, formally of Sunderland, emerged as an option.
Maja returns to the club where he spent some time as a youngster before a spell at Manchester City and then joining Sunderland.
He told the club website: 'I'm really excited and proud to sign for Fulham on loan for the remainder of the season.
'This is a big opportunity and I look forward to meeting up with the team and working hard to achieve positive results.'
Bordeaux confirmed the signing of Fulham midfielder Jean Michael-Seri for the remainder of the season on Saturday. And the prospect of Maja, 22, heading the other way was raised during talks.
Fulham's search for a much-needed alternative to Aleksandar Mitrovic has reached a successful conclusion.
Maja joined the French club two years ago after an impressive start to the season for Sunderland, scoring 16 times before the end of January.
Maja proved equally clinical in his first full season in France last term, scoring eight times and setting up three more goals despite starting just eight times.
The remainder of his 24 appearances came off the bench.
Fulham FC statement:
We are delighted to announce the signing of Josh Maja from Bordeaux on loan.
The 22-year-old striker will remain with Fulham for the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign, with an option for the deal to be made permanent.
Speaking to fulhamfc.com after signing, Maja said: "I’m really excited and proud to sign for Fulham on loan for the remainder of the season.
"This is a big opportunity and I look forward to meeting up with the team and working hard to achieve positive results."
Tony Khan added: "I’m delighted that we’ve been able to bring Josh back to Fulham. He’s made tremendous progress in the years since he left our Academy, and now he’s returning to the Club in our First Team with an opportunity to earn his place in our squad and prove himself at the highest level. Come on Fulham!"
A South London boy, Maja spent time with Crystal Palace before joining the Fulham Academy at the age of 11 in May 2010.
Maja spent three years in SW6, honing his craft alongside the likes of current Whites players Jerome Opoku, Taye Ashby-Hammond and Marlon Fossey.
After spending some time with Manchester City, he later joined Sunderland, making his senior debut in the League Cup in September 2016.
The following season he was handed a Championship debut by Chris Coleman, scoring the winner after coming off the bench against Slavisa Jokanovic’s Fulham side – the last match before our famous 23 game unbeaten run.
It will be the 2018/19 campaign that Maja looks back on as the year he well and truly announced himself, when he had scored 16 goals by mid-January and boasted the best goals (0.63) per game ratio in League One.
It was form that persuaded Bordeaux to take him to France, where last season he scored seven goals, including a hat-trick against Nimes.
Maja’s performances in Ligue 1 earned him a first call-up to the Nigeria international squad in September 2019, and he made his debut that same month in a team that also featured Ola Aina.
Source Adrian Kajumba at Mailonline/Geoff Pruce at Fulham FC