"It would be looking bleak" - West Brom urged to avoid Josh Maja transfer situation | OneFootball

We spoke to our resident West Bromwich Albion pundit to get his take on what player is invaluable this January window.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

West Bromwich Albion's 12-game unbeaten run came to an end on Sunday as they were defeated 2-1 by Watford.

This run saw the Baggies notch two wins amid ten draws, and they would have been desperate for it to continue heading into the New Year as they look to push for the play-offs.

While that wasn't to be, they have plenty of opportunities to restore faith in the coming weeks with fixtures against the likes of Derby County and Sheffield United.

However, following that, they have the key month of January, when the winter transfer window will officially open.

Additions will likely be made by Carlos Corberan, but just as crucial will be retaining their top talent, as interest from clubs higher up the football pyramid will likely intensify.

With the above concern in mind, we spoke to our resident Albion pundit, Callum Burgess, to get his take on what player is invaluable to the Baggies.

"I think if Albion were to lose Josh Maja in January, then the second half of the season would prove difficult circumstances to find a positive way to finish the campaign. Especially when you consider the options that Albion have up front aside from him.

"Carlos Corberan obviously does not rate Devante Cole and Karlan Grant could do a good job, but has been doing great playing alongside Maja in recent weeks.

"If we were to sell him (Maja) to another club, or he became injured then it would be looking bleak for the rest of the season.

"It is not just his 10 goals that he has brought to the team, but his link-up play as well."

Burgess also pointed out that Maja would benefit from the return of Daryl Dike, with the American striker able to share the workload and offer valuable support. However, he stressed that while Dike could step in and do a job, losing Maja would be a massive setback, leaving Albion facing an uphill battle to get into the play-offs.

Josh Maja should stay at The Hawthorns

Aged 25, the Lewisham-born striker has already had an incredibly interesting career to date, with spells in the Premier League and Ligue 1.

This emersion into top-flight divisions has seen him struggle with just 12 goals across 62 appearances.

Finally settling in at The Hawthorns, Championship football is certainly no blemish, and his 10 goals in 21 appearances suggest he could reach an impressive tally this season.

Having faced challenges in previous high-profile moves, it might benefit the forward to remain patient and continue refining his game in the second tier.

This would be ideal for West Brom and could significantly bolster their chances of a play-off push in 2025.