With directors of football being in charge of transfers at most clubs, managers tend to focus more on how to get the best out of the players at their disposal instead of scouring the market for the next deal.
While some are fine with that, others tend to be reluctant to use players they didn’t pick themselves, which we’ve seen at clubs like Watford where Obbi Oularé found this out the hard way.
For Josh Maja, the opposite appears to have happened, since his made his debut for Bordeaux at the weekend, starting his first game for the Ligue 1 side since his switch from Sunderland in January.
One of the key players at the Stadium of Light, the young forward was transferred last month as he had made it clear he was not going to renew, meaning the Black Cats, needing money, decided to cash in rather than wait for him to leave on a free.
Relayed by 20 Minutes, he said: “I have to admit, I didn’t really know him [before he signed]. It’s a real gamble”.
Despite this, it appears Maja has patiently worked his way into his manager’s plans, and while he didn’t score, he did play 67 minutes of the 2-1 win against Toulouse on Sunday.
It seems everything is going to plan for him. Now all he needs is a goal.
