Sunderland teenager Bali Mumba has sent a congratulatory message to former teammate Josh Maja after the striker scored a hattrick for Bordeaux last night. 

The 20-year-old has been a bit-part player for the Ligue 1 side this season but grabbed the headlines in his fourth start of the 2019/20 campaign.

Maja scored three goals and provided one assist as Bordeaux hammered league rivals Nimes 6-0 at Matmut Atlantique.

The Nigerian striker left Sunderland in January after a sensational first half of the 2018/19 campaign, in which he scored 16 goals for the Black Cats.

Maja's contract was set to expire in the summer, so the North East club decided to cash in for a reported fee of just £3.5 million rather than see him walk away as a free agent six months later.

It appears the 20-year-old still has a strong relationship with some players at Sunderland, as Mumba took to Instagram to congratulate him.

Maja has made 22 appearances for Bordeaux in total, scoring seven goals, but you feel after last night's performance he could be set to play a more important role.

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Sunderland have struggled to find a reliable goalscorer since the 20-year-old's exit.

They signed Will Grigg in January but the Northern Irishman has struggled to settle and added just eight goals in 46 appearances.

While their other two strikers, Charlie Wyke and Marc McNulty, have scored just three league goals between them this season.

The Verdict

It's interesting to see that despite his exit in January, Maja still has a good relationship with members of the squad.

You'd imagine that after last night's performance, many Sunderland fans will be wishing the club had never let him go.

Their current issue with goalscorers is something they will surely look to fix in January, potentially meaning Grigg could be set to leave.