Reported Rangers target Josh Maja is on the verge of sealing a return to the English Championship after the free-agent had a medical at West Brom on Monday.
In truth, The Baggies need the former Sunderland, Fulham and Stoke City frontman far more than Rangers do.
Following the arrivals of Danilo, Sam Lammers and Cyriel Dessers – and with both Abdallah Sima and Fashion Sakala also capable of thriving through the middle – West Bromwich Albion are unlikely to face any last-gasp, eleventh-hour hi-jack from north of the border as Josh Maja prepares to put pen to paper at the Hawthorns instead.
Rangers linked Josh Maja returning to England
Maja became a free-agent when his contract at Ligue 2 outfit Bordeaux expired a month ago.
The London-born Nigeria international will not be without a club for much longer however. The Express and Star report that Maja was at West Brom’s training ground for medical tests on Monday, with an official unveiling now understood to be ‘imminent’.
Maja, who scored 17 goals for Bordeaux in 2022/23, could be a potentially season-defining addition for a Baggies side who’s promotion prospects may rest on bringing in a centre-forward to ease the burden on the injury-prone Daryl Dike.
“I think we have the responsibility to start the league covering some of the positions better. Specifically, the ‘number nine’ (position) is something that we are going into the market to find,” West Brom coach Carlos Coberan admits.
“Because you cannot only depend on (Brandon Thomas) Asante.
“We have a proactive idea to cover the position. You need two players (in each position) to be a competitive team.”
With Danilo following Lammers and Dessers to Ibrox last week, joining from Feyenoord for a fee in the region of £5 million, Beale currently boasts the kind of attacking depth Corberan can only dream of.
And if Rangers are to bring in another player before next month’s deadline, it is likely to be at the other end of the pitch; a left-sided centre-half still a priority.
