According to French journalist Clement Carpentier (tweet below), Birmingham City and Sheffield United are set to go head-to-head in a transfer tussle over former Sunderland hotshot starlet Josh Maja.
🔴⚽️@joshmaja a toujours une belle cote de l’autre côté de la Manche et des clubs comme @SheffieldUnited (PL) ou @BCFC (Championship), qui s’intéressent de très près à lui, pourraient faire des offres autour de six/sept millions d’euros cet hiver. #Bordeaux #Girondins #FCGB pic.twitter.com/HFrbUK3sPv
— Clement Carpentier (@clementcarpet) December 19, 2020
Carpentier’s tweet (translated) reads:
@joshmaja still have good odds on the other side of the Channel and clubs like @SheffieldUnited (PL) or @BCFC (Championship), who are very interested in him, could make offers around six/seven million euros this winter
Maja’s football journey to France
21-year-old Maja started out his football journey as a youth player at London club Fulham, moving to Crystal Palace then Manchester City before landing at Sunderland and their Under-18s in 2015.
A year later he was promoted to the Under-23s and in 2018 made the jump to the first-team for the Black Cats. In his time on Wearside, Maja went on to make 49 appearances for Sunderland. He went on to score 17 goals and provide two assists.
It was this form, coupled with much potential, that saw French Ligue 1 side Bordeaux shell out a reported £1.5m to take him to France and away from English football. He’s made 45 appearances for them, scoring 11 goals and providing three assists.
Birmingham and Blades wanting Bordeaux deal
Carpentier’s tweet says that, after a quiet start to this campaign, Bordeaux are ready to cash out on Maja. They are wanting a fee of between €6m-€7m (£5.5-£6.4m) in order to be willing to let the former Black Cats youngster return to English football.
The Chronicle Live website writes that both English clubs are keen but adds a caveat in terms of Sheffield United. They write that, with Chris Wilder not having funds to buy outright, that the Blades might look to cut a loan deal with Bordeaux.
