Fulham have signed Bordeaux striker Josh Maja on loan for the rest of the season. The Englishman is the man Scott Parker has turned to in a bid to get more goals in his side. The deal does include an option to buy.
Maja has spent the last two years in France with Bordeaux but has struggled to find the goalscoring form he produced at Sunderland.
Maja is Fulham’s first signing in this window with Parker hoping he can fire Fulham to safety.
Fulham Sign Striker Josh Maja on Loan From Bordeaux
Maja Returns to English Football After Two Years in France
The youngster started his career at Crystal Palace playing for their academy. He played for several academy sides including Manchester City and even a brief spell in the Fulham academy.
He got his break at Sunderland when joining their academy in 2015. Maja made his senior debut for the Black Cats in 2016. He would eventually go on to make 49 appearances and score 17 times.
His impressive form in League One during the 2018/19 season earned him a move to Ligue 1. He’d scored 15 times in 24 matches which had attracted Premier League interest but ultimately he moved to Bordeaux.
His two years in France have been mixed. In total he has made 45 appearances in Ligue 1, scoring nine goals. Averaging a goal every five games isn’t too disappointing and Scott Parker will hope he can demonstrate similar form shown at Sunderland.
The deal between the two sides continues good relations after Jean Michael Seri signed for the French side over the weekend. It’s certainly a deal which suits both parties.
A Return to English Football Offers Regular Game Time for Maja
Maja returns to English football hoping to get some game time and score some goals. His pace in behind will suit Fulham’s patient style of play. The Cottagers carve out plenty of chances but lack that clinical finish in many games.
Aleksandar Mitrovic has struggled to find his best form while Bobby Decordova-Reid is their top scorer with just five goals.
Maja will join a Fulham side eight points off safety and needing to pick up wins fast. It remains to be seen whether he has signed in time to face Leicester City on Wednesday.
He should be available for their derby clash with West Ham United next weekend; back to back home matches for Fulham in which they need to pick up points.
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