Aston Villa's Brian Madjo Cleared to Play

Aston Villa supporters could have been forgiven for approaching the new season with feelings of great anxiety. Youri Tielemans has gone, as has Morgan Rogers, and goodbye to Lucas Digne.

Background

But Villa fans who have been keeping their eye trained behind the curtain may not have been quite so concerned. Earlier this month, their 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo – 6ft4in, body of iron ore – was cleared by the court of arbitration for sport to play competitive fixtures for the club.

Key Details

Born in London but already capped for Luxembourg, Villa and Fifa were in disagreement over whether Madjo, signed from Metz in January for £10m, qualified as a home purchase or an international transfer. If it was the latter, as a minor, he wouldn’t have been eligible until turning 18 next January. While waiting for the verdict, Madjo banged in four goals in pre-season friendlies, against Walsall, Real Sociedad and Indonesia All Stars.

What It Means

Upon finally being cleared for the big boys, Madjo could have scored as many goals again in 45 minutes against Paris Saint-Germain. This clearance is a significant development for Aston Villa, who have lost key players like Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers.