EXCLUSIVE: Sunderland ready to cash in on Maja
Sunderland are trying to cash in on teenage hotshot Josh Maja, writes Adrian Kajumba.
Thirteen goal strike starlet Maja, 19, the top scoring teenager in England’s top four divisions, is out of contract at the end of the season and the Black Cats have yet to reach an agreement on a new deal
And, fearing they won’t, Sunderland have now offered Maja to English clubs for just £1.5m knowing he can sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club from January 1 and they would then only receive a small fee in accordance with FIFA’s compensation rules
Doing a deal now represents their best hope of securing a reasonable sum for the front man
Sunderland boss Jack Ross benched Maja for Saturday’s trip to Portsmouth due to his future being uncertain - though claimed it was because of illness - but the decision backfired as they lost 3-1
Maja’s tally is made up of 12 league goals plus a further strike in the EFL Trophy. His dozen League One goals have come from just 29 shots making him the most clinical striker in the division with a conversion rate of 41 per cent.
And that is why clubs including Emirates Marketing Project, Tottenham and Southampton have been keeping tabs on Maja this season.