Aston Villa are on the verge of completing a significant transfer coup, securing the signature of highly-rated teenage striker Brian Madjo from French club FC Metz.
The £10 Million Deal for a 'Rare Find'
The deal for the young forward is understood to be worth in the region of £10 million. Madjo, who celebrates his 17th birthday on January 12, is scheduled to undergo a medical and sign a long-term contract with the Premier League club, marking a return to the country of his birth.
Born in Enfield but raised in Luxembourg, Madjo's football journey began with FC Marisca Mersch before he progressed to the youth academy of Racing FC Union Luxembourg. His move to FC Metz came in the summer of 2023. After initially featuring for their Under-19 side, his rapid development was recognised with a surprise call-up to the Luxembourg senior national team.
International Pedigree and Early Breakthrough
Madjo's rise has been meteoric. He earned three caps for Luxembourg's senior side last year, notably starting and playing an hour in their historic 1–0 victory over Sweden in March 2025. His former international manager, Luc Holtz, praised his immediate impact, suggesting the early selection was justified.
This season, the striker has broken into the Metz first team, making his senior debut in a start against Strasbourg and following it up with another start against Lyon. He has made a total of five Ligue 1 appearances so far.
Despite his senior caps for Luxembourg, Madjo has since switched his international allegiance and now represents England at Under-17 level. He has played four times for the Young Lions, scoring in a 2–1 win over Venezuela in September 2025. Intriguingly, his England U17 coach is Liam Bramley, who previously worked at Aston Villa's academy between 2020 and 2022.
A 'Complete' Profile Drawing Star Comparisons
Standing at an imposing 6ft 3in, Madjo's physical stature has inevitably prompted comparisons to iconic powerful strikers. Luxembourg football reporters have described him as "built like a rock, athletic, and technically gifted - a rare find".
His style has been likened to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba. More notably, Luxembourg's technical director, Manuel Cardoni, has compared his profile to that of Romelu Lukaku, but with a crucial distinction.
"His profile is similar," Cardoni said. "But, even if we are keeping our feet on the ground, Brian has a more complete profile [than Lukaku], because he is good in tight spaces, really good in terms of positional play. He is also good in terms of going in behind [the defence], and he can also feed the ball with both feet. He has huge room for growth."
This glowing assessment of a "more complete" skillset than the elite Belgian striker underscores the immense potential Aston Villa believe they are acquiring. The move represents a major investment in the club's future, aiming to develop one of European football's most exciting young talents at Villa Park.
