Finn Azaz

Azaz operates just behind the striker, drifting into pockets of space where a defensive midfielder is reluctant to follow, and his end product tends to cluster into short, remarkable spells rather than spreading evenly through a campaign. When he catches form he can score and create at a rate that few Championship midfielders match over the same handful of matches. Southampton paid a serious fee to bring that kind of ceiling into the building.

The difficulty is predicting when the next burst arrives, because long stretches between those hot streaks can look like a player drifting out of games entirely. Opposition managers who work him out early in a match tend to nullify him for long periods, only for him to reappear with a goal or two out of nothing. Southampton fans have learned patience with the quiet weeks in exchange for the moments that decide matches.