- Published29 July 2026
Aston Villa are still awaiting the outcome of their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as they try to register Brian Madjo, who joined from Metz for £10m in January and does not turn 18 until January next year.
Under-18s cannot complete international transfers, but Villa have argued Madjo was born in London and should be exempt, despite having three caps for Luxembourg.
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.
At 6ft 4in, Madjo has already been compared to Belgium's Romelu Lukaku and his leveller against Real Sociedad to make it 2-2 after 56 minutes was simple enough but showed a predatory instinct.
He was a handful for Real, with strength and power unsettling the visiting defenders and, with Ollie Watkins still on a break following England's World Cup campaign and Tammy Abraham returning from a shoulder issue, Madjo has the chance to impress.
While he cannot play in competitive games for Villa, it leaves the tantalising prospect of the hulking youngster being unleashed in the Premier League in the new year, or earlier if the club get their way.
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- Aston Villa
Source: BBC News
