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Youth football expert backs 'elite' Josh Maja to make UK move at right time
We’re delighted to welcome the founder of Kinetic Academy Harry Hudson as our exclusive columnist. Each week the youth football expert will be giving his views on the biggest talking points on wonderkids across the UK…
Bordeaux striker Josh Maja could have made a deadline day move to the UK but youth football expert Harry Hudson thinks he made the right choice.
The 23-year-old was the subject of a bid on transfer deadline day from Birmingham City but he chose to reject the Blues and stay instead with the French outfit despite relegation to Ligue 2 and financial trouble at the club, as per Fabrizio Romano.
He has started the new season well with a recent hat-trick against Paris Fc took his season’s tally to four with three further assists in the French second division.
Hudson, who founded the Kinetic Academy which Maja came through before joining Sunderland in 2015, was happy to see him stay at Bordeaux but does want to see him back in English football in the coming years.
When asked if a move back to England would have suited Maja, Hudson told The Football Wonderkids: “Yes, I think so and I think Josh wants to play at the highest level possible.
“It’s a bit more complicated than usual with some money owed in wages so he signed a new deal which I think included commitments to pay back wages and if they don’t go back up he’s got certain clauses that will let him leave.
“The only thing I would say with Josh is that he hasn’t played regularly for a couple of seasons with a couple of injury problems but off the back of a really good season, if he scores goals, he could move back to the UK in a stronger position than he was this summer.
“He’s got clauses in his new contract that could see him go for very little if not even free which also opens up opportunities for him next summer.
“Josh is so good but being realistic, he could secure a lower third Premier League move or someone who invests in potential because Josh is elite level.”
Maja also has one Nigerian cap to his name, earned in 2019, but has not since featured for the Super Eagles.
In other Kinetic Academy news, Hudson has suggested why he thinks Under-21 teams from the Premier League tend to struggle in the Papa John’s Trophy.