Middlesbrough are laughing loudest at Southampton right now after £15m agreement | OneFootball

It's not been the ideal start to life in Southampton for Finn Azaz as Middlesbrough may have cashed in at the perfect time

It's been far from the ideal start for all involved at Southampton this season, but one man who has surprisingly struggled for form has been the former Middlesbrough midfielder, Finn Azaz.

With 13 games played, 12 points on the board, and the search for their new manager well and truly underway, Southampton have been far from it so far this season to everyone's surprise.

The Saints currently sit just above the relegation zone and are in the midst of a three-game losing streak as Will Still was dismissed on Sunday evening.

After facing the drop from the Premier League last season, the parachute payments the Saints received gave the club the ability to conduct some decent business in the summer, including bringing the likes of Finn Azaz through the door, who hasn't lived up to his potential.

After becoming one of the top performers in the Championship over the past year and a half with Middlesbrough, the Irishman's performance levels have been below-par for someone of his qualities, making the £15m that Boro received for their star man seem like an extortionate price.

Finn Azaz hasn't yet lived up to expectations in a Saints shirt

After trading the North for the South of England in the summer, Azaz seemed nailed on to spearhead an immediate return to the Premier League for Southampton. However, it has been anything but this season.

Everything about the signing pointed towards success, with it seeming as though Southampton had one of the best players in the division now on their books, but no one could've predicted the 25-year-old's sudden drop-off. Last season was Azaz's best of his career up to this point, having 12 goals and provided 11 assists in 45 league appearances.

Fast-forward to now, and Azaz has featured nine times in the league for the Saints without a goal contribution to his name. After very much being a 90-minute man for Boro, Azaz is yet to find his place in the current Southampton side as he has only completed one full match under former boss Still, which came against Blackburn.

With Azaz still being very much in the early stages of his playing days on the South coast, it's important to remember not only the geographical switch that the midfielder has had to make. But also, getting used to a new system with many personnel switches is bound to take time, which is proving the case.

However, time is of the essence for Azaz and Southampton, who must turn things in their favour otherwise the Saints could be starring League One in the face if they are not careful.

Middlesbrough will be thankful for receiving £15m for the struggling Finn Azaz

It's no surprise that there are question marks over the name Finn Azaz so far this season due to not finding his feet in a Saints shirt as of yet. But from a Middlesbrough perspective, they will be thankful that they cashed in for £15m when they did, as his services have evidently not been missed with Boro sitting pretty in second in the Championship.

Middlesbrough fans, however, got a glimpse of what Azaz could have offered to Rob Edwards' side in the first two gameweeks as the Irish international popped up with a goal and assist for his former club, which is more than what he has done for the Saints to this point.

With his future very much being up in the air in the middle of August, that didn't stop Azaz from picking up where he left off, and Boro fans won't help but think that their search for promotion to the top flight would be that little bit more hopeful had they had Azaz still in their ranks.

One key reason for Azaz's drop-off in form has to be Will Still's formation, and with the ex-Reims manager now dismissed from his managerial duties, it wouldn't come as a surprise if Azaz is to benefit from Sport Republic's decision due to Still commonly opting for a 3-4-3 formation which doesn't naturally suite the 25-year-old being an out-and-out number 10.

From Middlesbrough's point of view, that £15m gained from his sale has allowed them to really kick on this season and strength in all areas of the pitch which has created a well-rounded unit for Edwards. Integrating experience and youth by bringing in the likes of Luke Ayling and Callum Brittain in the wing-back positions have been pivotal to their ongoing success so far.

Overall, Boro will be laughing loudest, having gained £15m for their key creator as the void he left has been filled at ease. Now they have their sights set on the top of the Championship, whereas the Saints are doing their best to escape the bottom three at this moment in time.