West Brom helped to produce £12m star - Middlesbrough and Southampton will be laughing | OneFootball

West Bromwich Albion helped to develop Finn Azaz before Middlesbrough and Southampton were the ones to benefit from the Baggies

West Bromwich Albion have helped to produce an array of incredible talent over the years, but sometimes, one or two slip through the cracks before the Baggies can truly benefit from their nurturing.

West Brom have had an excellent start to the 2026/27 Championship campaign, picking up where they left off last season under James Morrison, and look like real play-off contenders despite it still being early days.

The Baggies cleared out the likes of Daryl Dike, Josh Maja, Jed Wallace, and Alex Mowatt to bring in fresh blood, such as Jimmy-Jay Morgan, Barney Stewart, Kareem Tunde, and Rabby Nzingoula, whilst Morrison has also given opportunities to academy graduates such as Harry Whitwell, Alex Williams, and Olive Bostock.

The Black Country outfit has helped to produce some excellent players in recent times, including the likes of Morgan Rogers, Tim Iroegbunum, Chris Wood, and Dara O'Shea, to name a handful, though now and then, one or two slip through their hands.

Finn Azaz came through the ranks of West Bromwich Albion before joining Aston Villa in 2021

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Finn Azaz has become a regular fixture in the Championship, and one of the best and most consistent attacking midfielders in the division, though few will be aware that he began his career at the Hawthorns.

The Irish international, born in England of Israeli descent, joined West Brom's academy aged nine, and progressed through the ranks, joining Cheltenham Town on loan in League Two for the 2020/21 campaign, scoring once and assisting twice in 37 league games.

West Brom would offer him a new contract upon his return to the club, but he failed to agree terms on an extension, and instead joined Midland rivals Aston Villa on a permanent deal.

His departure would have been a blow to the Baggies at the time, but little would they come to know the mistake they had made.

Newport County and Plymouth Argyle would loan Finn Azaz before Middlesbrough snapped him up in a £2 million deal

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Upon switching from the Hawthorns to Villa Park, Azaz joined Newport County on loan for the 2021/22 season, scoring seven and assisting seven in 42 League Two games, before subsequently taking the step-up to League One the following year with Plymouth Argyle.

His eight goals and nine assists in 34 league games under Steven Schumacher enticed the Pilgrims to bring him back the following year on loan upon their return to the Championship, and in the first half of the season, Azaz had scored seven and assisted five in his first campaign in the second tier.

Middlesbrough recognised his potential, and decided to snap the Irishman up for a mere £2 million under Plymouth's noses in January 2024, which would ultimately prove to be an exceptional deal for the Teesside outfit.

Southampton would pay Middlesbrough £12 million to sign Finn Azaz in the summer of 2025

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Upon his arrival in Teesside, Azaz would continue where he left off in Devon, scoring four and assisting five in the remaining 20 league games, as Boro just missed out on a place in the play-offs under Michael Carrick.

He would remain an integral figure in the number ten role under Carrick the following year, grabbing double digits for goals and assists in the Championship, finding the back of the net 12 times and assisting a further 11 in 45 games, as Boro would again, despite his form, fall just short of the play-offs.

Southampton, upon their relegation to the Championship, were looking to bring in some of the division's best talent, as Azaz followed the likes of Tom Fellows, Leo Scienza, and Casper Jander to St Mary's in a deal worth an initial £12 million, with a further potential £2 million in add-ons.

Azaz once again remained a consistent goal and creative threat at St Mary's last year, notably scoring an excellent goal against Manchester City at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final, and has continued his form into this season, as West Brom must rue this transfer mistake.

Middlesbrough and Southampton benefited from West Bromwich Albion's transfer error involving Finn Azaz

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Despite playing a significant role in the development of Azaz, West Brom are probably the only club to have not benefited from having Azaz on their books.

The Irishman spent over a decade with the Baggies and left for nothing for their Midland rivals, before shining on loan with the likes of Cheltenham, Newport, and Plymouth, before both Villa and Middlesbrough profited on his sales.

Now with Southampton, Azaz is among Tonda Eckert's most important players, and if the Saints want to sustain a real push for promotion this year, the 26-year-old will be at the heart of it, as West Brom must regret making this costly transfer error.