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Finn Azaz is a wanted man this summer after his impressive Boro form throughout the last season

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Middlesbrough playmaker Finn Azaz is set to be a man in-demand this summer, amid reported interest from Premier League sides Leeds United, AFC Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, with Boro believed to be demanding around £20 million for his services.

There have been few Championship players more influential than Azaz over the last 12 months, as he has grown into a key player at the Riverside Stadium despite an initial slow start to life at the club following a January 2024 move from Aston Villa.

The Republic of Ireland international is bound to attract transfer attention in the coming months, and numerous top-flight sides are thought to have him on their radar ahead of a potential move after Boro again failed to make the play-offs at the end of the recent second-tier season.

Boro fan pundit issues 'standout' Finn Azaz verdict following £20m price tag claims

Azaz was poached by Boro off the back of his two impressive loan spells at Plymouth Argyle, after he initially joined the Greens from Aston Villa in the summer of 2022 and was a key part of their League One title-winning campaign in his first season at Home Park.

He signed a contract extension with Villa and re-joined Argyle ahead of their return to the second-tier, and was just as influential in the Championship for the Greens, but only lasted for half a season back in Devon as he was recalled back to the Second City to be sold to Boro for around £2.5 million in January last year.

The 24-year-old has further proven himself to be one of the most decisive and clinical final-third operators in the EFL since he moved to Teesside, with 16 goals and assists each in 66 appearances for the club, while he also won the Championship Player of the Month award for November 2024.

He is surely eyeing a Premier League move soon, after his strong form was still not enough to fire Boro into the top-six at the end of the second-tier season last month. The Irish Sun have reported that Leeds and Bournemouth have joined Crystal Palace in the race for his signature this summer, after the Eagles' interest was first reported back in March.

The same report states that Boro rate Azaz' talents at around £20m, and they are unlikely to want to sell him for much less with three years still left to run on his current contract.

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit, Phil Auton, agrees with a price-tag of around that figure being placed on Azaz ahead of the summer window, but does not want him to depart in the coming months due to his obvious talent, despite his inconsistencies that have seen him struggle to make an impact against top teams in the past.

“I think (Finn Azaz) had about 23 goal contributions last year, so about 12 goals and roughly the same amount of assists, which was really good and made him a bit of a standout," Phil told FLW.

“When you watch him, most of those contributions and goals, although he was probably right up there with the best in the league, were against the lower sides.

“He seems to do really well against teams at the bottom, but not so good against the teams at the top. I think there was only one goal contribution against a team at the top, and that was at home to Sheffield United.

“Personally, I think he is a great player, but I think you need a lot of workhorses around him. You need people who can graft and give him a free rein to roam.

“He is quite weak for a lad that’s about six-foot-one, six-foot-two possibly. He’s not very strong on the ball and gets knocked off it quite a bit.

“It didn’t help him last season when Carrick was moving him out of position onto the left wing to play Iheanacho, which was just a disaster anyway.

“Really I think he would flourish in a number 10 role with centre midfielders who can graft and just let him be a luxury player.

“In terms of a £20 million price tag, I don’t think that would be far off the mark. We bought him from Aston Villa last January for around £2.5 million.

“But he is a really good player. I think he could probably cut the mustard at a lower Premier League team, and I would be really disappointed if he left.”

Azaz would be a big loss for Boro but they can not turn down any sizeable bids this summer

Azaz has clearly been a key man for Michael Carrick's side over the last campaign, with his 23 Championship goal contributions only bettered by Leeds' Joel Piroe and Burnley's Josh Brownhill, who are each set to be important players in their respective sides in the top-flight next season.

His potential to play in the top-flight has long been apparent, as he made his way through the youth ranks at West Brom and spent three years on Villa's books before his permanent move to Boro last year.

Boro boss Carrick has reserved high praise for Azaz' abilities following his outstanding recent exploits, and has backed the seven-cap Republic of Ireland international to go on to bigger things, which may hint at his future lying elsewhere ahead of the new campaign.

"We’ve seen what he’s capable of this season and what he can go on to achieve. The amount he’s produced this season is really impressive. He’s brought variety into his play and has played across different roles as well," he told the Northern Echo last month.

"He can find that pass, he can find that moment and he can find that bit of quality to finish. He’s dangerous in those positions. He’s hugely driven and really motivated to do well.

"He wants information, he wants to learn and he wants to improve. He’s such a hard worker and sometimes you’ve got to hold him back a little but because he’s so keen. It’s a fantastic attitude to have. In the end, you get the rewards for the work you put in. He’s doing really well."

Azaz could well be on his way out of the Riverside Stadium soon, and while the majority of Boro supporters will obviously want him to stay, the club are in no position to turn down a potentially hefty bid from a Premier League side for his services as they aim to bolster their squad and finish in the top-six next season.

From a personal point of view, the 24-year-old will surely see a move back to the top-flight as the natural next step in his career, and he will have to weigh up which team is right for him if Middlesbrough start to receive approaches from interested clubs soon.