Corberán insists on the signing of Josh Maja

Valencia CF

Josh Maja is back on the agenda of Carlos Corberán. The coach keeps a close eye on the Nigerian forward, whom he managed during his time at West Bromwich Albion , and whose profile continues to fit into the club's sporting plans.

The strong relationship between the two and the knowledge Corberán has of his qualities work in favor of the deal. The manager knows what Maja can bring and believes he could be a useful piece to strengthen the attack.

In the 2025/26 season, Josh Maja was West Bromwich Albion's main attacking reference, although a muscular injury in the second half of the campaign halted his progress. Even so, he finished the campaign with 18 goals and 2 assists in 30 matches across the Championship and cups, putting up a rate close to a goal every 120 minutes. Before suffering the injury, he was leading the Championship's top-scorers chart and was the team's main attacking argument under Carlos Corberán.

Who is Maja?

Maja stands out for being a mobile and very complete forward. Although he plays as a reference in attack, he is not a static '9'. He likes to drift to both flanks to create space, drop a few yards to take part in the build-up, and constantly attack the space behind the centre-backs. His main strength is his off-the-ball movement, as he reads extremely well when to break into space and he usually shows up in the right place inside the box. He also finishes naturally with both feet and stays calm in one-on-one situations against the goalkeeper.

He is intense in his pressing, committed to recovering after losing possession , and very used to working for the team, something Corberán leaned on during his time at the West Bromwich. He does not stand out for his aerial play despite his 1.80-metre height, but he makes up for that with agility, good supporting runs, and quickness in the first steps.

His profile fits especially well with teams looking for rapid transitions and a forward able to link up with the attacking midfielders, rather than a fixed finisher inside the area. That versatility is one of the reasons Carlos Corberán continues to view him as an attractive option to bolster his attack.

For now there is no deal fully agreed, but the name of Josh Maja is coming up and remains one of the first options Corberán is considering to strengthen the frontline ahead of next season