Striker Josh Maja has impressed in training and helped West Brom to their first win on his debut for the club

Leeds United have been warned that West Brom’s ‘brilliant’ new signing Josh Maja is ready to make an impact as the Baggies head to Elland Road this week. Former Sunderland striker Maja joined West Brom this summer as a free agent after leaving French Ligue 2 side Bordeaux.

He made his debut for his new club from the bench on Saturday as West Brom beat Swansea City 3-2 at The Hawthorns. And, while Maja is still building up his match fitness, he is expected to get more minutes on Friday when they travel to Yorkshire to face Leeds.

Maja’s West Brom teammate and Turkey international midfielder Okay Yokuslu has been impressed by what he has seen of the 24-year-old and fellow new arrival Jeremy Sarmiento so far, and feels they will play an important part for the club this season. “We have been training together the last few days,” says Yokuslu.

“You can see that they’ll help the team. In the cup game [West Brom’s Carabao Cup defeat against Stoke City last week] Sarmiento was brilliant, for me, and I think he’s going to help us.

“Maja in training has been brilliant as well. I’m looking forward to playing with him.

“We all want the best for the team and the club. We have two new players, who will help us a lot I believe.

“We are trying to build something. What we built last year [when the club finished ninth, three points outside the play-offs] will help us. Still, we need to improve on some topics, but the gaffer is helping us a lot and we have a group of players who are helping each other on the pitch and out of it.

“It’s going to be long, but we just need to focus on one game at a time.”

West Brom’s win against Swansea was their first victory of the season, while Daniel Farke’s Leeds are still waiting for their first league win since being relegated to the Championship having drawn at home to Cardiff City on the opening weekend and then losing at Birmingham City on Saturday.