West Brom hero hoping Josh Maja signs up for more with the Baggies

Club hero Andy Johnson hopes striker Josh Maja will stay at Albion.

The 27-year-old is mulling over a new contract offer from the Baggies with his current deal due to expire at the end of the month.

Maja has scored 19 goals in 81 appearances since joining the club in 2023, with three of those coming in the final nine matches of last season, as he rediscovered his form under James Morrison.

The offer of a new deal still raised eyebrows in some quarters but former midfielder Johnson is a fan of the forward.

He told the Express & Star: "Would I like Josh to stay? Of course I would.

"He links up the play better than anybody at the football club, between the midfield and the strikers. His touch nine times out of ten is sensational, he can flip balls in behind.

"He really does spot it. If he gets a partnership with a winger that stands the ball up for him, he can attack it and he'll get goals.”

Maja’s record as a starter over the past two seasons is strong, with the Nigerian netting 19 times in 41 appearances.

Albion released Daryl Dike at the end of the campaign following an injury-strewn four-and-a-half years at the club and Johnson hopes more attacking reinforcements will be sought this summer.

The Baggies are hoping to make early inroads when the transfer window opens next week.

Johnson said: “I'd like to think maybe we'd be looking at another striker.

“Aune Heggebo has done great up there but we know that Mozza likes to play with two up, so he's going to definitely need another striker.

"We know Karlan Grant can go up there, but prefers on the wing - and I prefer him on the wing as well.

"I was gutted Jed went. I thought he was a massive part of the turnaround as well. Jed was just great to have around the place.

"Even if he was never going to be playing every minute of every game, you knew what you were going to get.

"Dike, I'm gutted for him because he hit form and looked the best he'd ever looked towards the end. We lost Mikey Johnston to injury, too, and he's got to come back as well.”

Whatever happens in the window, Johnson hopes the club can look toward a brighter future after a torrid season which saw Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay sacked, before Morrison arrived to rescue them.

"Who are we going to add? Listen, that's on Mozza now,” he said.

“That's the difference between being an interim manager, when you've just got to get them to the point that the football club want you to get to.

"In other words, we had to survive this season. He's done that. Now he's being asked to build a football team.

"He's got everything he needs around him to do that. He really has. He's got all the knowledge and experience as well.

“He was a fantastic player. He's an incredible lad and everybody's behind him.”