Sunderland’s self-confessed ‘bad deal’ for Josh Maja could still pay off amid reported Premier League interest

Add as preferred source on Google

Josh Maja’s move away from Sunderland was a hard one to take for Black Cats’ fans. The talented striker was in fine form for the Wearside club who were chasing promotion from League One last season. 

However, his contract was expiring at the end of the campaign and with clubs from abroad showing interest, Sunderland could not risk losing the 16-goal youngster for nothing. 

With that in mind, as reported by The Chronicle, Sunderland sold the goal-getter to Bordeaux for a fee in the region of £3.5 million. 

Sunderland chairman Stewart Donald later admitted to The Chronicle that it was a ‘bad deal’, with Sunderland only receiving an initial £1.5 million upfront. 

However, there is a silver lining in all this. Sunderland fans will have read this week that Maja is attracting interest from Premier League sides. Le Parisien claims that Everton and Chelsea have been keeping tabs on the player who has scored five goals in 19 appearances this season.

Whilst Sunderland fans were disappointed with Maja’s exit, the fact he was sold rather than lost to a Bosman ruling allowed an element of control to be exercised by the club. 

That, according to Get French Football, is what allowed Sunderland to negotiate a 10 percent sell-on clause into the deal. 

If Everton or Chelsea end up spending big bucks on Maja, then Sunderland will be entitled to a piece of that pie. 

Considering his age and the current transfer market, it could be a fairly big slice. His estimated value, according to German aggregator Transfermarkt, is currently at €7 million (£6m) but you can easily see how a team might end up spending over £10 million on his services. 

If that proves to be the case, then at least Sunderland can make some extra money out of a self-confessed ‘bad deal’.