Nottingham Forest-linked Josh Maja must be forgiven for feeling a sense of déjà vu on the transfer deadline day of 2022.
This time 12 months ago, the striker was reeling after failing a medical after Forest agreed on terms to sign the player from Bordeaux.
Now, Maja has seen a move to Birmingham collapse at the eleventh hour, although this time it’s been the player’s decision, Fabrizio Romano reports.
The 23-year-old has chosen to stay at Bordeaux for one more season and he’s also agreed to sign a new two-year deal.
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If the French club don’t win promotion during 2022/23, there will also be a clause inserted that allows him to leave the club for free.
Forest perhaps got away with one over Maja.
The player did score against Forest in a 2-2 draw with Stoke last season but Maja scored just twice in 17 outings.
He’s not really started the 2022/23 campaign particularly well either; starting all six of Bordeaux’s games in Ligue 2 and scoring a single goal.
Maja has claimed three assists so far this season but ultimately, that’s not really the role he’s asked to play on the pitch.
Forest-linked Maja tastes déjà vu
There has to be something that’s not quite right with Maja.
He’s never really fulfilled the potential that he promised when he was coming through the ranks at Sunderland.
It’s hard to imagine another Championship club taking him now that moves to Forest and Birmingham have broken down in the space of 12 months.
Birmingham are in a sticky situation at the moment.
They’re under new ownership and they might have fancied completing the stellar capture of Maja.
Given his record at Stoke, however, they might feel that they’ve got away with one here; just like Forest did on this day last year.