Middlesbrough could face looming Southampton issue ft £12m star | OneFootball

Finn Azaz is in fine form for Southampton, and he could come back to haunt former club Middlesbrough in the promotion race this season.

As we approach the final months of the season, the Championship is taking shape and the race for promotion promises to be very exciting.

Whilst there are sure to be plenty of twists and turns, it looks like it’s a case of two from four in the battle to finish in the automatic promotion places.

Meanwhile, there are four or five teams, at least, that will fancy their chances of finishing in the play-off places.

So, it’s a dangerous game to try and predict the outcome of such a division, but there’s a possibility that Middlesbrough and Southampton could come up against each other.

Finn Azaz is now justifying the £12m Southampton paid for him

That would be a great game for many reasons, and it would have extra significance for Finn Azaz, who swapped the Teesside outfit for Southampton in a £12m deal last summer.

In truth, months into the campaign, it looked like Boro were the big winners from that deal.

Like most of his teammates, Azaz struggled under Will Still, and by the time the ex-Lens chief was dismissed at the start of November, the attacking midfielder had yet to contribute a goal or an assist.

Clearly, that was not good enough, and many Saints fans were wondering why they had committed such an outlay on the Irish international.

However, Azaz’s form has improved dramatically under Tonda Eckert, with the 25-year-old now a key figure in the team.

He has scored nine goals and recorded five assists in his last 25 games, which is an excellent return, and shows the impact Azaz has made since the German took over.

Of course, Eckert deserves credit for that, as he has found a formation and setup that allows the ex-Aston Villa youngster to flourish, but it’s also on the player, who has embraced the responsibility of becoming an important member of the squad.

Finn Azaz could fire Southampton to promotion ahead of Middlesbrough

The transformation at Southampton is not down to one player on their own, as Daniel Peretz has been an inspired signing in goal, Cyle Larin is a constant threat with his physicality and the likes of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Finn Downes and Leo Scienza are quality options at this level.

Yet, Azaz deserves a mention because of his form, and he will feel he can make the difference in the final months of the campaign, where the pressure builds and the spotlight increases.

When he made the decision to join Saints from Boro, it was because Azaz felt the south coast side offered a more realistic route to the Premier League.

Obviously, the league table proves that isn’t the case, and it’s why some Middlesbrough fans were disappointed in Azaz for leaving, as he had a mixed reception on his return to the Riverside Stadium.

Whether that was justified is up for debate, but that’s football, and you can be sure Azaz was questioning his choice to depart as Boro thrashed Southampton 4-0 at the start of the year.

But, it could still be Azaz who has the last laugh, and even though he won’t have animosity towards Boro, where he had a productive spell as a player, there’s no doubt that getting one over them in the play-offs would be sweet.

Middlesbrough’s aim will be to win promotion without needing the play-offs, but Kim Hellberg’s side may have to settle for a top six place.

In that instance, a game against Southampton, be it over two legs or in the final, would be far from ideal given the quality in Saints’ ranks, and the fact they’ve found form over the past few months.

All football fans have stories of a former player coming back to haunt them, and there will be a fear that Azaz could do just that if Middlesbrough and Southampton meet in the play-offs.