Josh Maja Scout Report — Le Havre | Ligue 1 27-Year-Old Nigerian Striker

Altyapı Ülkeleri Ligi series — France (Ligue 1): Le Havre
With Le Havre’s winger slot completed by the Sōta Nakamura report, the series reaches the final stop in the club’s eight-position file: striker. The player under the microscope is Josh Maja, the 27-year-old Nigerian striker who joined Le Havre on a free transfer from West Bromwich Albion in July 2026, signed specifically as the new centre-forward in the same window the club sold Issa Soumaré to Rennes.

Identity and biography table

Career and development history

Maja began his football career in the academies of Crystal Palace, Fulham and Manchester City, before joining Sunderland (2015-16) and signing his first professional contract in May 2016; at Sunderland between 2016 and 2019 he made 41-49 league appearances and scored 17-18 goals (sources show a minor internal discrepancy). In January 2019 he moved to France’s Bordeaux on a four-and-a-half-year deal (no transfer fee is reported in any source); he missed much of spring 2019 with a left-knee injury after just seven matches into his Ligue 1 run. He spent loan spells at Fulham (February-June 2021, 3 Premier League goals) and Stoke City (January-June 2022, 2 goals in 17 appearances). He declined to re-sign with Bordeaux at the end of 2022-23. In August 2023 he moved to England’s West Bromwich Albion on a free, three-year deal, scoring 19 goals in 81 appearances there, missing time with fitness/injury issues between September and November 2023, then suffering an ankle ligament injury in December 2023 that kept him out for 4-5 months. His contract with West Brom expired in June 2026 (he turned down a new deal offered by the club in May 2026), and he joined Le Havre on a free transfer on 31 July 2026 — in the same window the club sold Issa Soumaré to Rennes. Per Wikipedia’s table, his career totals stand at 261 appearances and 70 goals (this figure comes from a single source and could not be cross-checked against a second database).

Season statistics

Maja featured in all six matches played as of 10 October 2026 in 2026-27 (Flashscore and Soccerway agree on this figure; one outlier source, Diretta, shows 5), scoring 1 goal, with no assists, no yellow or red cards, and an average rating of 6.6 per Flashscore. His goal involvement, cross-checked match by match: 23 August against Monaco (a 0-1 loss) — no goal; 29 August away at Lyon (1-1) — the goal was scored by Samatta (74th minute), not Maja; 5 September against Brest (a 1-2 loss) — the goal was a Fofana penalty (79th minute), not Maja; 12 September away at Angers (0-0) — no goal; 19 September against Toulouse (a 2-3 loss) — Maja scored in the 71st minute, assisted by Nakamura, with Samatta adding a further goal in the 88th minute; 10 October away at Lille (a 0-1 loss) — no goal. This data aligns exactly with the season totals from FotMob/Footystats/Flashscore (Maja: 1 goal, 0 assists; Samatta: 2 goals, 0 assists).

Playing style analysis

Public scouting material on Maja’s current form is limited — available sources largely consist of video-game attribute cards rather than a genuine scout report. A tactical analysis piece from his Bordeaux days (2019-20) describes him as a striker whose main value lies in making threatening runs in behind the defensive line, pointing to a mobile, in-behind-running forward rather than a classic target-man/hold-up type; however, this assessment is dated and no fresher source reflecting his current Le Havre form could be found.

Le Havre context: why his role matters

Maja was signed specifically as the new centre-forward in the same transfer window the club sold Issa Soumaré to Rennes. However, he faces genuine competition in the squad: 33-year-old Tanzanian Mbwana Samatta (who joined on a free transfer from PAOK in August 2025 and won the club’s Player of the Month award in April 2026 last season) has outscored him early in the season (2 to 1), and was shown in the predicted lineup ahead of the Lille match as “Ndiaye, Samatta; Maja” — operating as a second forward/support role just behind Maja. This suggests Maja is not an unchallenged first-choice but is structurally the player occupying the club’s “number 9” role. In a season in which Le Havre is fighting a relegation battle, the competition and combination between these two forwards is critical to the team’s goal output.

Strengths

• Signed specifically as the club’s new centre-forward, featuring in all six of the season’s opening matches
• Showed goal contribution with his strike against Toulouse on 19 September
• A proven scoring record at England’s second tier, with 19 goals in 81 appearances across three seasons at West Brom
• A dated Bordeaux-era analysis describes him as a mobile striker who makes threatening runs in behind the defensive line
• At just 27, a striker in the maturity phase of his career

Weaknesses

• Has scored fewer goals than squad mate Samatta early in the season (1 to 2), and Samatta’s deployment as a supporting forward just behind him in some lineups calls his unchallenged first-choice status into question
• No call-ups to the Nigeria senior national team since his single cap in 2019 — his international career appears to have stalled
• Has suffered multiple injuries throughout his career (a knee injury during his 2019 Bordeaux spell, an ankle ligament injury during his 2023 West Brom spell that cost 4-5 months)
• A conflict exists between sources over his contract length (one year plus an option, or two years plus an option — unresolved)
• No current, detailed scouting analysis of his playing style could be found; the available data is either dated or from a video-game source

GegenSports score: 56/100

This score is GegenSports’s own original assessment; it is not a rating from another platform. Breakdown: current form and starting status (featured in all 6 matches, but facing competition from Samatta and a lesser goal contribution) 12/20, career history and scoring record (19 goals in 81 appearances at West Brom, experience across several leagues) 13/20, playing style and physical profile (a mobile, in-behind-running description, but limited current data) 11/20, injury history and availability (multiple past injuries) 9/20, club context and data clarity (contract-length conflict, competition from Samatta) 11/20. The score reflects a striker signed as the club’s new centre-forward but who has yet to establish an unchallenged first-choice status, having shown a lesser goal contribution than his squad mate early in the season.

Comparable players (role-based comparison)

The names below are not statistical one-to-one matches but qualitative comparisons based on playing profile and career trajectory:

• The free-transfer signing brought in as the new centre-forward archetype: A player signed on a free transfer specifically to fill the role left by a club’s departing striker, who then faces squad competition for the role.
• The mobile, in-behind-running striker archetype: A forward who is not a classic target-man/hold-up type but instead creates danger through runs in behind the defensive line.
• The striker competing against an experienced backup/second-forward archetype: A player who structurally occupies the first-choice centre-forward role but features in a squad where an experienced teammate has proven more effective in front of goal.

As how Maja’s goal contribution develops over the season and the outcome of his competition with Samatta become clearer, these comparisons will be better tested; for now they rest on trajectory and context rather than statistical projection.

Süper Lig fit and suitable Turkish clubs

Maja’s profile — a striker with experience across different tiers of English football and in France, with a proven scoring record — could theoretically interest Süper Lig clubs seeking variety in attack. However, his current role at the club and uncertainty over his contract length make a short-term transfer assessment difficult at present. This report is not based on any concrete talks or offer information.

Cost and value-for-money scenarios

His market value was reported at around €4.5M at the time of his transfer (down from a 2026 career peak of €10M); Soccerway/Flashscore list €4.3M. Having joined on a free transfer, he represents a cost-free centre-forward solution for the club; this figure could be revised upward if his performance improves.

Development potential

At 27, Maja is a striker in the maturity phase of his career; the key question is whether his limited early-season goal contribution will grow over time, and whether he can secure a clear first-choice status in his squad competition with Samatta. His proven scoring record at West Brom suggests he could reach a higher level of output under the right conditions.

Injuries and availability

Maja has a multiple-injury history throughout his career: he missed much of spring 2019 with a left-knee injury during his first Ligue 1 season at Bordeaux; during his West Brom spell he had fitness/injury issues between September and November 2023, and suffered an ankle ligament injury in December 2023 that kept him out for 4-5 months. No current injury record was found for the 2026-27 season; he has featured in all six matches.

Foreign-player status and TFF quota

As a Nigerian citizen and therefore not a citizen of an EU member state, Maja would be assessed under the TFF’s regulations as a full foreign-quota player at a Süper Lig club.

Suitable leagues

Given his profile, Maja fits leagues at the mid-level European tier (England’s second tier, Ligue 1’s lower table, Süper Lig and similar) seeking a mobile, in-behind-running striker. His current role at the club and contract uncertainty make a short-term league-change scenario a complex question for now.

Sporting director summary

Maja, who joined on a free transfer from West Brom and was signed as the club’s new centre-forward, has fallen behind experienced squad mate Samatta early in the season at age 27. His experience across different tiers of English football and in France shows a versatile career history. The key question for sporting directors is whether he can secure a clear first-choice status in his squad competition with Samatta, and whether his goal contribution will grow across the season.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Josh Maja? A 27-year-old Nigerian striker who wears Le Havre’s number 9 shirt, signed as the club’s new centre-forward on a free transfer from West Brom in July 2026.

What position does he play? Striker.

When does his contract expire? Sources conflict: most show 2027 (one year plus an option), while a minority report describes two years plus an option.

What is his status at Le Havre in 2026-27? He has featured in all six of the season’s opening matches, scoring his only goal against Toulouse on 19 September; squad mate Samatta has outscored him (2 to 1) and operates as a second forward behind him in some lineups.

Does he have national team experience? He earned 1 cap for the Nigeria senior national team in 2019, with no further call-up found since.

Would he fit the Süper Lig? Theoretically attractive as a profile, but his current role at the club and contract uncertainty make a short-term transfer assessment difficult at present.

What is his market value? Reported at around €4.5M at the time of his transfer; his 2026 career peak was €10M.

Does he have an injury history? Multiple injuries throughout his career (a knee injury in 2019, an ankle ligament injury in 2023); no current injury record for 2026-27.

Le Havre file’s eighth and final report

This is the series’ eighth and final report on the Le Havre file, following the goalkeeper (Gauthier Gallon), centre-back (Ayumu Seko), right-back (Elias Jelert), left-back (Djibril Ouziad), defensive midfield (Simon Ebonog), attacking midfield (Rassoul Ndiaye) and winger (Sōta Nakamura) reports — the Le Havre file is now complete with this report. The Altyapı Ülkeleri Ligi series will move on to the next club in France’s (Ligue 1) alphabetical order.

Sources

• Wikipedia (English and French): Josh Maja biography and career history
• Africasoccer.com and Maxifoot: reports on his free transfer to Le Havre
• Soccerway and Flashscore: market value and season statistics
• Reuters (via nst.com.my), Footballwebpages.co.uk, Maxifoot: match-level goal details (Lyon, Brest, Toulouse matches)
• Sportsmole.co.uk: predicted lineup ahead of the Lille match (for the Samatta-Maja competition)

Sources not accessible: Transfermarkt’s own profile page could not be accessed directly for this report; market value is relayed via secondary sources. There is an unresolved conflict between sources over his contract length (one year plus an option, or two years plus an option). A detailed match-by-match minutes/starts breakdown (beyond goal events) could not be found in any source. His career totals (261 appearances/70 goals) come from a single source (Wikipedia) and could not be cross-checked against a second database. No current scouting analysis of his playing style could be found. Information is current as of 16 October 2026 and should be updated as the season progresses. This report does not constitute investment or legal advice.