"Don’t think he will leave" - West Brom: Response issued to Josh Maja €20m exit links | OneFootball

FLW's West Brom fan pundit has given his verdict on the transfer situation surrounding Josh Maja

West Bromwich Albion marksman Josh Maja has reportedly emerged as a potential transfer option for Spanish side Celta Vigo.

According to Super Deporte, the top-flight club are weighing up a move for the striker ahead of the January transfer window.

Maja has made a strong start to the current Championship campaign, contributing nine goals and one assist from 15 league appearances.

It is believed that West Brom have set a €20 (£16.7) million asking price for the 25-year-old, with Celta Vigo considering replacements for Iago Aspas.

Aspas has been a key figure for the Spanish side in recent years, but is now 37 and is coming to the end of his current contract.

Josh Maja transfer verdict

When asked about the possibility of cashing in on Maja, FLW’s West Brom fan pundit Callum Burgess claimed that a sale in January seems unlikely.

He believes their hard stance on Tom Fellows last summer showed they are tough to negotiate with, and that remaining at The Hawthorns would be best for the striker at this stage of his career anyway.

“It would be a move that many Albion fans wouldn’t have seen coming,” Burgess told Football League World.

“And nor would they expect it to formalise either because of Maja’s such high importance to the team.

“In the summer, we showed that with Tom Fellows, we don’t make things easy for other teams when they try to sign our players.

“So, while we are already asking for a high asking price, if the €20 million fee is to be believed, I doubt that Celta Vigo will be able to pay that much, nor would they be willing to pay that for someone off the back of his first real good run of form in England.

“And although we have seen the quality that Josh Maja possesses, I think that it would be good for him to stay at a club for several seasons, and make it a home for himself.

“Because we saw at Sunderland and Bordeaux that he had a few loan spells around, and he never really got comfortable until his final season in France, where he started to really hit the goals in Bordeaux.

“So I think Albion is a home for Josh Maja, and I don’t think he will leave anytime soon.”

Josh Maja’s importance to West Brom

Maja has grown into a very important part of Carlos Corberan’s first-team squad.

The striker has started each of the side’s opening 15 league games and is easily their top scorer with nine goals to his name.

The forward made just 12 appearances last year in the Championship, arriving from Bordeaux in the summer of 2023.

If the Baggies are going to compete for promotion to the Premier League this season, then keeping Maja will be key.

Josh Maja asking price should keep Celta Vigo at bay

It’s difficult to see a club like Celta Vigo paying a fee in the range of £15-16 million to sign anyone in the January transfer window.

As long as Maja doesn’t become unsettled and push for a move, then West Brom should be comfortable setting such a strong stance on his asking price.

The Nigerian has a contract with the club until 2026, so they are in a position where they can wait until the end of the campaign before making any decisions over his future.

If he can maintain this form, then he could be a real difference-maker in the club’s pursuit of a top-six finish.