West Brom need to match Middlesbrough to sign new Finn Azaz

West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough are two groups hoping to compete for promotion to the Premier League subsequent season.

The Baggies completed twenty first within the Championship in 2025/26, narrowly avoiding relegation to League One, however they know they’ve a whole lot of work to do that summer season to construct a squad that may compete for promotion.

James Morrison’s facet have failed to attain in three of their remaining six video games of the league season and want to enhance their high quality up entrance in the event that they wish to transfer up the desk.

In the meantime, Middlesbrough reached the semi-finals because of Southampton’s Spygate punishment, however misplaced 1-0 to Hull Metropolis within the play-off remaining, and have been initially defeated by Saints within the semi-final.

One factor Boro and Baggies have in frequent is that they each have attacking midfielder Finn Azaz on their roster, who’s at present among the best gamers within the Championship.

Why West Brom and Middlesbrough want the subsequent Finn Azaz

Southampton signed the Eire worldwide from Middlesbrough for £14 million final summer season and he has scored 12 objectives and offered eight assists for Saints this season.

This got here after Boro confirmed his high quality as a scorer and common aim creator, scoring 17 objectives and offering 17 assists in 68 video games in all competitions.

Azaz began his profession in West Brom’s academy and made 85 appearances at Below-18 and Below-21 stage earlier than being snapped up by Aston Villa earlier than breaking into the first-team at The Hawthorns.

Now, they want a brand new Azaz this summer season, as neither membership has a participant with double-figure assists within the league, whereas the Irish star has assisted over 10 objectives in two of the final three seasons within the Championship.

Kim Helberg and Morrison due to this fact want extra creativity like Azaz of their respective groups, and coming into the switch market may assist them discover it.

A technique for the 2 championship groups to strengthen their squad could possibly be by exploring the free agent market and choosing up some bargains within the coming weeks.

Norwich Metropolis have already confirmed attacking midfielder Emiliano Marcondes will depart the membership when his contract expires on the finish of June, with the Baggies and Boro anticipated to focus on him as a free agent.

The Danish playmaker performed 16 video games within the Championship for the Canaries, who’ve Paris Maghoma and Anis Ben Suliman of their positions, however his par 90 figures recommend he nonetheless has loads of capability to succeed in that stage.

His rating towards his friends throughout a variety of creativity metrics means that each West Brom and Middlesbrough may gain advantage from the creativity he can convey to the No. 10 place.

In actual fact, he averaged extra xA per 90 (0.22) than Azaz recorded within the Championship this season, which speaks to the extent of high quality he can convey to Helberg and Morrison’s workforce on the high finish of the pitch.

In the course of the 2024-25 season, when he performed frequently beneath coach Johannes Hof-Sorup, Marcondes began 25 league video games and recorded 5 objectives and 6 assists.

Previous to his time at Carrow Street, the skilled star was one thing of a promotion specialist within the second tier, scoring in Brentford’s play-off remaining towards Swansea at Wembley in 2021.

The 31-year-old playmaker additionally helped Bournemouth earn automated promotion to the Premier League by ending second within the Championship in 2021/22, making it their second successive season to win promotion.

West Brom and Boro ought to now look to signal him on a free switch within the hope that he could be a power like Azaz within the quantity 10 place and assist them win promotion from the second tier.

This could be a dangerous transfer given his lack of enjoying time for Norwich this season, however his underlying numbers recommend it could possibly be a terrific transfer if they provide him common minutes and permit him to develop into a star creator within the quantity 10 place.