West Bromwich Albion forward Josh Maja has been a shining light for the Baggies this season, with his goals helping to keep Albion in the promotion race back to the Premier League.
The Nigerian international joined Carlos Corberan at The Hawthorns in the summer of 2023, but his first season in the blue and white stripes was cut short by two long-term ankle injuries.
After being given the back end of last season to get himself fit for the current campaign, the 25-year-old has been in fantastic form in front of goal when given a continuous run of game time, scoring 10 goals in 21 Championship outings and sitting as the second-highest top scorer thus far.
| Top goalscorers – EFL Championship 2024/25 (as per BBC Sport) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player Name | Team | Goals | Assists | Played | Goals per 90 minutesGoals per 90 | Minutes per GoalMPG | Goal Conversion | |
| 1 | Borja Sainz | Norwich | 15 | 2 | 21 | 0.73 | 124 | 23% |
| 2 | Josh Maja | West Brom | 10 | 2 | 21 | 0.54 | 167 | 27% |
| 3 | Vakoun Bayo | Watford | 9 | 0 | 19 | 0.62 | 145 | 24% |
| 4 | Emmanuel Latte Lath | Middlesbrough | 8 | 2 | 21 | 0.59 | 151 | 19% |
The Nigerian international joined Carlos Corberan at The Hawthorns in the summer of 2023, but his first season in the blue and white stripes was cut short by two long-term ankle injuries.
After being given the back end of last season to get himself fit for the current campaign, the 25-year-old has been in fantastic form in front of goal when given a continuous run of game time, scoring 10 goals in 21 Championship outings and sitting as the second-highest top scorer thus far.
Josh Maja frustration due to early substitutions
In recent weeks and months, Corberan has chosen to pull Maja sooner in games than supporters would have wanted, coinciding with a string of draws that has seen Albion slip behind in the fight for automatic promotion.
Back in October, despite Maja’s strong performance against Oxford United, the former Huddersfield manager decided to replace him with Jed Wallace to lead the line for the final 10 minutes. Because of Maja’s departure, the Baggies struggled to keep the ball up front, and persistent incoming pressure resulted in a last-minute equaliser.
Maja was curiously brought off in the 54th minute of a November victory against Hull City, leaving Corberan’s side battling to find a third and decisive goal with their top scorer off the pitch.
The former Sunderland forward left the field with 10 minutes to go at the Stadium of Light, despite a desperate desire to score against his former employers, while he was replaced at halftime last week in their victory over Coventry City and with 25 minutes to go in their most recent clash at Watford, with Albion trailing 2-1 at the time.
Such poor tactical errors have enraged Albion fans in recent weeks, and Maja will certainly be equally unhappy, given he is the player who is frequently affected.
Josh Maja exit could be on the cards if West Brom trend continues
You get the sense that both the supporters and Maja can only take so much of Corberan’s decision-making.
Withdrawing West Brom’s top striker when they sorely need to get back on track at Vicarage Road is odd, especially since Maja has received more rest than any other starting XI figure following his half-time absence against the Sky Blues in midweek.
Maja’s form in front of goal has led to speculation that he could leave The Hawthorns, with Spanish club Celta Vigo reportedly interested in signing him, according to Super Deporte.
Maja’s chances of becoming a consistent 90-minute player with the Galacian side increase as he replaces the seasoned Iago Aspas, and it might be an attractive move when the January transfer window approaches.
Corberan must make Maja feel more vital to the squad than he is right now, as losing their talisman midway through the season will have a huge impact on Albion’s promotion chances.
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