Finn Azaz

Finn Isaac Azaz (born 7 September 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for club Southampton. Born in England, he represents the Republic of Ireland national team.

Azaz was a product of the West Bromwich Albion academy and spent the 2020–21 season on loan at Cheltenham Town. He moved to Aston Villa in July 2021 and was immediately loaned out to Newport County for the 2021–22 season. He spent two loan spells with Plymouth Argyle before signing for Middlesbrough in January 2024. Azaz joined Southampton in August 2025.

Early and personal life Born in Westminster, Azaz is of mixed Irish and Israeli heritage.

His family moved to Birmingham when he was 15 months old. He attended Kings Heath Primary School and King Edwards School, where he achieved nine A*s at GCSE, and two A-Levels in French and Business, which he completed as a scholar at West Bromwich Albion. He continued his studies in French and Spanish after his A levels, for his own personal development.

Club career

West Bromwich Albion Azaz joined West Bromwich Albion at the age of 9. He made his professional debut in September 2020 in an EFL Cup 1–0 win over Peterborough United, and his first professional goal came in the same competition in the same month in a second round 3–1 loss to Championship side Millwall.

Aston Villa On 26 July 2021, Azaz joined Aston Villa and was immediately loaned out to Newport County for the 2021–22 season. He made his Newport debut on 10 August 2021, in a 1–0 EFL Cup victory over Ipswich Town, in which he provided an assist for the winning goal. Azaz scored his first goal for Newport on 24 September 2021 in the 2–1 League Two defeat to Barrow. Azaz was awarded the EFL Young Player of the Month award for January 2022 after three assists as his side picked up thirteen points from six matches.

At the 2022 EFL Awards, Azaz was awarded the League Two Young Player of the Season award as well as being named in the League Two Team of the Season with teammate Dom Telford.

On 11 July 2022, Azaz signed a contract extension with Aston Villa, and joined Plymouth Argyle on a season-long loan. Azaz made his first appearance for Plymouth on 30 July 2022, scoring a debut goal in 1–0 victory over Barnsley. On 25 October, Azaz suffered a "serious" ankle injury during a 2–1 victory over Shrewsbury Town which was expected to keep him sidelined for over two months. Azaz made his return to the Plymouth starting line-up on 21 January 2023 - with two assists in a 4–2 league victory over Cheltenham Town.

On 2 August 2023, Azaz signed another contract extension with Aston Villa and re-joined Plymouth Argyle on another season-long loan. The loan was terminated in January 2024 after Azaz was recalled by Villa.

Middlesbrough On 5 January 2024, Azaz signed for EFL Championship club Middlesbrough for an undisclosed fee.

Having registered five goals and four assists in six matches, Azaz was named EFL Championship Player of the Month for November 2024. Later that month, Head Coach Michael Carrick praised Azaz, saying that, "We know his quality, his eye for a pass and for finding spaces to create for others. He’s an intelligent player and he can score goals as well. He did so before he came here and it was one of the reasons we bought him. He’s got the whole package really and he’s having a really good spell, but there’s loads more to come from him still."

Southampton On 29 August 2025, Azaz joined Southampton on a four-year contract, for a reported fee of £12 million, plus potential add-ons. He made his debut for the club on 30 August in a 2–2 away draw with Watford. On 8 November, Azaz scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 victory against Sheffield Wednesday.

International career Azaz was called up the Republic of Ireland under-21 side for the first time in September 2022. He made his under-21 debut on 27 September 2022, in a 0–0 draw against Israel in a UEFA Under-21 Championship qualification play off that Ireland lost in a penalty shootout. His first call up to the senior Republic of Ireland squad came in March 2024, ahead of their friendly games against Belgium and Switzerland. He made his senior debut for the country on 26 March 2024, coming off the bench in a 1–0 defeat against Switzerland at the Aviva Stadium. On 20 March 2025, he scored his first goal for the Republic of Ireland in a 2–1 away win against Bulgaria in the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League relegation play-offs. He was named the FAI Young International Player of the Year in June 2025.

In October 2025, Azaz was headbutted by Armenia captain Tigran Barseghyan in a World Cup qualifying match.

Career statistics Club

International

Scores and results list Republic of Ireland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Knight goal.

+ List of international goals scored by Finn AzazNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition 1 20 March 2025 Stadion Hristo Botev, Plovdiv, Bulgaria 1–1 2–1 UEFA Nations League relegation playoff

Honours Cheltenham Town EFL League Two: 2020–21

Plymouth Argyle EFL League One: 2022–23 EFL Trophy runner-up: 2022–23

Individual EFL League Two Young Player of the Season: 2021–22 EFL League Two Team of the Season: 2021–22 EFL Championship Player of the Month: November 2024 EFL Young Player of the Month: January 2022 FAI Young International Player of the Year: 2024