Arsenal make Miguel Azeez summer transfer decision

The Premier League season is just around the corner and Arsenal are starting to take shape; not a cohesive circle or regimented square though, and instead something more reminiscent of a partially completed trapezium.

In other words, the summer transfer window isn’t running as smoothly as hoped. Yet, the same can be said for most of Europe, let alone the Premier League. Sales are frightfully hard to complete which is having a knock-on effect for bringing players in, an issue laid bare in Arsenal’s midfield.

Roma struggling to stump up the money Arsenal demanded for Granit Xhaka – which is baffling when you consider they spent €20m on an exceedingly average striker named Eldor Shomurodov – has turned the situation on its head.

Now there looks set to be minimal activity in that department, at least as far as arrivals. Albert Sambi Lokonga joins Xhaka, Thomas Partey, Joe Willock, Lucas Torreira, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Mohamed Elneny in providing Mikel Arteta with options. It all seems rather familiar.

Arsenal make Miguel Azeez summer transfer decision with midfielder set to stay in north London with the chance of minutes and not leave on loan

Three of those could be moved on. They haven’t yet, as the old issue of struggling to sell pokes its head up again, although there could be some activity on the horizon based on Miguel Azeez.

Set to be a fringe player with so many other midfielders still at the club, a loan transfer was mooted this summer for the Hale End graduate. However, as per football.london, the 18-year-old is set to be rewarded for some excellent work in pre-season by being kept on with the first team.

The club had been partially concerned about Azeez’s slight frame, and in response the midfielder has been putting in serious minutes off the pitch to work on his physique. This, coupled with a professional attitude around the training ground, will see him earn the playing time freed up by likely departures for Willock and Maitland-Niles.

Not set to be a first team regular, Azeez could end up spending his time split between the Under-23 side and the senior setup when cup games come around of if injuries strike. Based on Elneny’s performances over the summer, Azeez shouldn’t have to wait long.

Would a loan suit him better, though? As with Folarin Balogun, going elsewhere and getting a full season of first team minutes under his belt would surely suit better. If he is going to be used far more than anticipated it would make sense, but the value of minutes can’t be understated for players at his stage of development.

Nonetheless, Arteta and the club rate Azeez very highly and despite being only 18, it’s a welcome show of faith.