Forget Saka, Smith Rowe and Nketiah - is Miguel Azeez the next young cab off the Arsenal rank?

Miguel Azeez

Forget Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah - is Miguel Azeez the next young cab off the Arsenal rank?

By Will Jennings

Whisper it quietly – but the next big thing off the booming Emirates production line may be just around the corner.

Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah and among the latest academy graduates to storm onto the first-team scene in North London.

And Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are the other recent cabs off the rank as Arsenal’s youngsters continue to make a splash.

Mikel Arteta’s laudable promotion of youth has been an unequivocal hallmark of his tenure and now, after one Saturday afternoon at Ewood Park, there’s another Arsenal starlet who’s got Gunners fans talking.

Step forward Miguel Azeez.

Azeez, 18, sparkled in Lancashire as he powered Arsenal’s Under-18s to an emphatic 4-1 victory against Blackburn and into the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup.

Miguel Azeez


Khayon Edwards, Kido Taylor-Hart, Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Azeez all scored but it was the latter who stole the show as Ken Gillard’s men ransacked Rovers away from home.

Azeez scored a thunderbolt on the stroke of half-time to open up a commanding 3-0 lead for the Gunners, receiving possession 30 yards out before battering a fierce, rising strike into the roof of the net.

And he continued to dazzle throughout a 90 minutes where Arsenal’s youth dominated – and kept their chances of an eighth FA Youth Cup triumph alive.

So, who exactly is Azeez? A central midfielder by trade, the dynamic youngster has made 12 appearances in Premier League 2 this season for Arsenal’s Under-23s – racking up one goal and a pair of assists.

He’s also regularly trained with Arteta’s underperforming squad and is said to be highly-thought of around the Emirates.

Which begs the question – when will he get his eagerly-anticipated first-team chance?

As expected, Gunners social media entered a state of collective frenzy on Saturday afternoon as Azeez lit up Lancashire and got fans licking their lips about the prospect of a potential Premier League debut.

‘Who needs Guendouzi?’, ‘better than Elneny and Ceballos’ and ‘the future of Arsenal’ were among the opinions to appear and based on Azeez’s performance, you wouldn’t bet against them being all that inaccurate.

The truth is, Arsenal’s midfield is in urgent need of a shake-up. Yes, Martin Odegaard has continued to make an impression in an advanced position and yes, the expensively-recruited Thomas Partey has shown signs of solidity and promise.

Mikel Arteta


But this is a Gunners side languishing ninth in the top-flight table and crying out for a spark to ignite their stuttering season.

Let’s be honest, the rest of this Premier League campaign is essentially a free-hit. Arsenal’s hopes of securing European football appear next to nothing and, with just nine league games remaining, now is the time for experimentation.

So Arteta: why not throw Azeez into the mix? A head coach has to have faith in his academy system and, given his glittering track record of promoting youth, we all know the Spaniard is far from conservative about providing young talent a platform.

The Gunners’ run-in includes strugglers Sheffield United, Fulham, Newcastle and Brighton – and if those aren’t the sort of games for Azeez to be eased into, then what are?

Arsenal crave a dollop of balance and dynamism in an otherwise static midfield and in Azeez, they appear to have the perfect candidate.

Composed in possession, energetic off the ball and capable of ramming home long-distance raspers – this looks like a man who would relish an opportunity on the big stage.

In Saka, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Nelson and Willock, Azeez has a clear path to follow.

Now is the time for Arteta to be bold, reward Azeez’s precocity and give Gunners fans something to finally shout about as the season draws to a close.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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