Southampton fans won’t want to look too far ahead into the future, as their team remains gripped in an intense Championship playoff race, in the here and now.
At the time of writing, the Saints are just narrowly inside the exclusive top six positions, on goal difference, with showdowns to come against their nearest rivals in Wrexham and Derby County.
This is why nobody at St. Mary’s will want to get too carried away, as the chase for the playoffs can always throw up a surprise, which then derails a team that looked destined for the Premier League.
The standout performances of some stars this season, ever since Tonda Eckert has come in and spearheaded a 14-game unbeaten run, will also make the Saints very wary that there’ll be plenty of interest in their services, no matter what division they call home.
In particular, it appears that Finn Azaz is attracting a lot of interest already, ahead of the summer window reopening.
Why Southampton will be bracing for interest in Azaz
Now up to 33 goals and 27 assists in total during a nomadic career in the Championship, Azaz does look ready to finally compete in the Premier League, which is a division that has always escaped him.
Indeed, for Eckert’s promotion chasers this campaign, Azaz has managed to collect ten goals and seven assists from 39 clashes in all competitions.
Capable of playing as a number ten, or as a winger, the one-time Plymouth Argyle man is such a nuisance for EFL defences to try and contain.
His electric form on the South Coast, as of late, has reportedly caught the eye of onlookers from the promised land of the Premier League, with SportsBoom revealing that Leeds United and Brighton and Hove Albion are keen on the £12m star.
The Seagulls have even been named as sending scouts to watch Azaz in action, while Leeds have put his name down on a list of targets.
Southampton will be hopeful that they can fend off all this interest if promotion is reached, as surely the Irishman would want to stick by the club that finally got him over the line to play in the distinguished division.
Unfortunately, money does talk, though, with Brighton’s well-established status in the Premier League no doubt a strong pull. Leeds will be waiting with bated breath to see where they reside next season, on the contrary, as the relegation battle in the top league heats up.
The playoff race is still simmering away in the second tier, too, with Eckert hopeful that Azaz can push all this transfer speculation to one side, and continue to let his football do the talking, in the intense run-in to come.
About to play for the Republic of Ireland national team, as well, off the back of such a red-hot season, the 25-year-old’s career is in the midst of a big upward trajectory.
Hopefully, this all culminates in Southampton winning promotion, and Azaz stays put, with the upcoming transfer window set to test the South Coast outfit.
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