Maja Must Stay, Says Former England Midfielder

Former England and Aston Villa midfielder, Lee Andrew Hendrie, has urged West Bromwich Albion to keep hold of Super Eagles striker, Josh Maja.

The 26-year-old scored a hat-trick in his side’s EFL Championship opening game of the 2024/2025 campaign against Queens Park Rangers, but ended the season scoring another nine.

Maja’s final goals for West Brom came on the opening day of 2025, in a brace against Preston North End. Three days later, the one-cap Super Eagles striker suffered a calf injury that kept him out till the end of the season.

Still on the road to recovery, many have urged the one-time English Premier League Champions to cash in on Maja, considering he has just a year left on his contract with the Harwthorns.

Hendrie, on the other hand, urged West Brom to keep the Nigerian striker as they don’t have any other prolific options in their squad.

“I think West Brom need to keep hold of their strikers,” the 48-year-old said in quotes revealed by West Brom News.

“That’s the thing with Albion, looking over seasons, they haven’t had a real prolific guy who’s been able to step up and really kick them on if anything.

“That’s an area where it’s always been quite evident for me that they’ve either had to strengthen, they’ve had injuries there and haven’t been able to fulfil that role.

“I think they have to try and keep hold of him [Maja], I really do. If they can build and produce good players in and around him, which they have got – I think it’s quite clear they do try and keep hold of him for sure,” the Sky Sports pundit concluded.

Josh Maja of WBA receives congratulations for his goal as they celebrate during the Sky Bet Championship match between West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End at The Hawthorns. [Photo Credit/ Imago].
Should West Brom sell Maja?
The Albions have already parted ways with another Super Eagles star in Semi Ajayi, although the 31-year-old penned a two-year contract with Hull City.

Maja’s time at the West Brom has been marred by injuries since he joined from Girondins de Bordeaux in 2023. The London-born striker has missed 46 games in two seasons, meaning he’s been absent from club duties for 302 days.

While Maja has been the club’s best striker in that time, his fitness issues have seen him miss approximately a season of football, and that doesn’t cut it at a club with huge ambitions such as West Brom.
It’ll be a tough decision for the club hierarchy to make as Maja is unplayable when fully fit. No clubs have registered interest in the pacy forward so far, meaning he could fulfil his contract with the five-time FA Cup winners.

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