Josh Maja has become a free agent three and a half years after leaving Sunderland.
Bordeaux’s failure to win promotion back to Ligue 1 meant that Maja was released upon his contract expiry and French journalist Ignazio Genuardi has reported that Birmingham City are keen on signing him.
The 24-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough season for the Black Cats following their relegation to League One and netted an impressive 15 goals in the first half of the 2018-19 campaign.
Maja turned down a contract extension at Sunderland and instead moved to Bordeaux in January 2019.
After failing to impress during loan spells with Fulham and Stoke City, Maja enjoyed his best form in Ligue 2 last season.
The French club’s promotion would have automatically triggered a contract extension for the striker, however he has now been released and is free to find a new club.
The Blues now see Maja as a good option to bolster their attack, giving the forward a potential fourth chance in English football.
Sunderland should not consider bringing Josh Maja back
Sunderland shouldn’t be phased by Birmingham City’s reported interest in Josh Maja.
Their former striker was a fan favourite during his brief stint in League One, however he was badly advised by his agent and made the completely wrong decision in moving to France.
Bar an impressive goalscoring record in Ligue 2, Maja has failed to prove himself since leaving Sunderland and only managed four goals across two loan spells in the Premier League and Championship.
While Maja is available on a free, it is thought he was raking in around £14,000-a-week in Bordeaux, which would make him one of the highest paid players at Sunderland if he was to return.
The Black Cats should avoid looking back even if Maja was a previous success – there are still plenty of more proven attacking options for them to consider this summer.