After eight months in limbo, the outcome was finally worth the wait for Brian Madjo. Aston Villa may have lost the Uefa Super Cup 2-1 to Paris St-Germain in Salzburg on Wednesday, but the 17-year-old striker made an impressive impact after finally receiving the chance to showcase his talent on the European stage.
After initially joining from Metz in January, the teenager ended the frustration that had built during his 212-day wait for competitive action with a grand entrance. An England Under-17 international, the bruising forward will naturally grab more headlines if he maintains the level he found in Austria against the back-to-back Champions League winners.
Villa were barred from registering the teenager by Fifa until they won an appeal through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) at the start of this month. The club had fought since the beginning of the year to register the 6ft 4in forward following his £10m arrival from Metz. Under-18 players cannot typically complete international transfers, but Villa argued that since Madjo was born in London, he should be exempt, despite his three caps for Luxembourg in friendlies.
Fifa allows some exemptions for minor players, including transfers within the European Union, a framework the UK is no longer part of. The legal battle was finally won just eight days ago after Villa took their case to CAS in July. Consequently, Madjo was added to the traveling party for Salzburg, having not been included in the initial squad.
Since those early international appearances, he accepted an England Under-17 call-up last year and has recorded four goals in nine appearances, including a goal on his debut against Venezuela. With England searching for their next primary striker once Harry Kane eventually retires, Madjo could force himself into the conversation in the coming years.
With Ollie Watkins rested after World Cup duty and Tammy Abraham left on the bench, the youngster was given the responsibility up front by manager Unai Emery, having already scored four pre-season goals. He was unleashed against PSG and quickly repaid the faith shown by his boss.
His strike at the Red Bull Arena, holding off Ecuador international Willian Pacho to volley in John McGinn’s cross, was arguably the hardest chance of the trio he had in a first half full of promise. It cancelled out Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s opener for PSG, though Desire Doue later hit a second-half winner following a video assistant referee (VAR) check.
Before his goal, the hulking Madjo had earlier planted a free header over from three yards and shot wide, but remained a constant nuisance for the 11-time Ligue 1 winner and Brazilian captain Marquinhos. He expertly deputized for Watkins until he was replaced by Abraham with 18 minutes remaining.
“He played because he was showing us his capacity to work and be demanding,” said Emery. “It is not just about scoring goals; it’s about defending and how he has the commitment and discipline tactically. I wanted to play with young players and watch their progression. Brian started scoring goals in pre-season against Walsall and Real Sociedad. Now the reality is we have shown their capacity, but they have to keep being consistent, demanding, and keep performing at the level they were.”
Former Villa striker Dion Dublin praised the youngster’s resilience on Radio 5 Live. “You’ve got a young player coming, especially on a stage like this one, against PSG, getting in those scoring positions and not allowing that disappointment to stay with you,” Dublin said. “I saw Brian Madjo, he had his hands on his head for a couple of seconds and then he got into another scoring position.”
Dublin continued, “He was brave enough to get back into that scoring position and if he keeps missing it’s not frightening him. He’s happy to have that pressure on his shoulders. I’ve been there; you need to be able to deal with it. At 17, he seems to be doing it easily.”
Villa have been looking to sign a new striker—Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson has been a summer target—but Madjo’s availability now gives Emery a different option and a tactical dilemma before the Premier League season opener at Brighton on 23 August. As the club navigates a summer of high-profile departures, including Morgan Rogers to Chelsea and Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, the emergence of a talent like Madjo offers a vital boost to the squad’s future.
Fifa does allow some exemptions for minor players to make moves, including if a 16 or 17-year-old transfers within the European Union – something the UK is no longer part of.
“I can feel free with my decision and proud of the players.”
Teenager Madgo scores equaliser for Villa
Whether Konsa will still be a Villa player for the league opener against Brighton remains open to debate with Arsenal expected to step up their pursuit of the defender.
Keeper Martinez will stay, despite interest from Juventus this summer.
Emery added: “We decided to play this match with the players who were ready to play, were fit and trying to avoid some risk with some players.
It is very important how we are going to manage the players.
“I am trying to use my experience to avoid some mistakes which i can understand can happen.
