Sunderland should avoid Josh Maja free transfer swoop

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Josh Maja is set to become a free agent this summer, four-and-a-half years after leaving Sunderland.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed in September that the striker would have the option to leave Bordeaux for free if they failed to win promotion this season.

The French club’s controversial defeat to Rodez means they will remain in Ligue 2, with Josh Maja now available to speak to other clubs.

Bordeaux fell behind to Rodez in the crunch clash before the game was ended prematurely after a supporter entered the pitch and allegedly assaulted goal-scorer Lucas Buades.

The Ligue del Football Professionnel (LFP) opted to hand Rodez the victory as a result, leaving Maja’s side forced to settle for another season in the second tier.

After netting 16 league goals for Bordeaux, Maja has attracted plenty of interest and Football Scotland have reported that Rangers are eager to snap up the striker on a free transfer.

However, the Nigeria international’s circumstances have unsurprisingly caught the eye of many Sunderland fans.

Should Sunderland try to re-sign Josh Maja?

Maja was undoubtedly sensational during his brief stint in the first team set-up following the Black Cats’ relegation to League One – netting 15 goals in only 24 games before he left for France.

However, it was a combination of bad advice and his suggested eye for cash that left the Wearside faithful feeling bitter over his move away.

While there are a high proportion of supporters that would love to see Maja sporting red and white next season, it seems like a mistake that Sunderland have made a number of times before.

During their time in the Premier League, Sunderland endured a drawn-out transfer saga as they chased the highly successful loan star Fabio Borini, who went on to prove rather underwhelming once they had snapped him up for £8 million.

Similarly, Jermain Defoe’s superb spell at the Stadium of Light was overshadowed by his return to the club during the 2021-22 season, in which he failed to score and cut his stay short when announcing his retirement in March of last year.

Maja’s finishing was nothing short of excellent while on Wearside, but his statistics aren’t exactly eye-catching. Bar his impressive goal tally in the French second division last season, the forward only managed nine goals in the top flight across three-and-a-half campaigns with Bordeaux.

He also returned to England on two occasions – scoring three goals while on loan with Fulham and netting only once in the Championship with Stoke City.

Maja was brilliant in League One for the Black Cats, but it doesn’t seem worth the risk in their race for promotion back to the Premier League – and that’s before you even consider his potentially hefty wage demands.