Aston Villa have been longing for an offensive catalyst since the £100m departure of beloved homegrown talent Jack Grealish to Manchester City in 2021, the fleet-footed demon's feats for the Lions undoubtedly going down in the club's folklore.
Sure, Ollie Watkins has been prolific in the Premier League of late; Emi Buendia is easy on the eye with his gliding gait, but no one has captured the panache and efficiency of the former gem.
A wholly contrasting skill set, but Villa's Finn Azaz could be the optimum name to send Villa Park into rapture once again, with the midfield maestro out on loan at League One high-fliers Plymouth Argyle this season and forging a season of emphatic success; a centrepiece to the club's promotion-pushing efforts.
Argyle are table-toppers after 38 matches, five points clear in the automatic playoffs with just eight matches to play.
The Republic of Ireland international Azaz has indeed been fantastic for The Pilgrims and will certainly be in contention for a spot in manager Unai Emery's system next year, so arresting has he been in his trade.
Who is Finn Azaz?
Azaz has been on the Claret & Blue's books since the summer of 2021, when he was signed from Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion and immediately loaned out to Newport County, praised as "exciting" by the club's official website.
WhoScored highlights Azaz's most arresting traits as his 'key passes', 'dribbling' and 'finishing', and his offensive midfield deployment could indeed provide the Villans with the offensive spark to complement the front-line next season.
Emery sold Danny Ings to West Ham United for £15m in January and only signed 19-year-old prospect Jhon Duran for £18m to bolster the offence, the dynamic Colombian precocious but perhaps not quite ready for the talismanic role.
The activity hints at a marquee addition in the summer, with the likes of £44m Lille sharpshooter Jonathan David touted, and as such, a creative and enterprising force situated behind would indeed go down a treat.
The 22-year-old Azaz has recorded an average Sofascore rating of 7.14 this term, scoring seven goals and supplying eight assists and complementing his direct return with 1.7 shots and 1.9 key passes per match, hailed as a "baller" for his exploits by journalist Alex Dunne.
If Emery does decide to offer the one-cap U21 international a platform, he could stake a claim for Philippe Coutinho's place in the team, with the distinguished Brazilian branded “disappointing” by former Villa star Gabby Agbonlahor.
The £125k-per-week man has scored just one goal and provided no assists from 22 outings across all competitions this season, recording a mediocre Sofascore rating of 6.66 and offering just 1.1 shots and 0.4 key passes per outing, inferior to Azaz's output, granted, playing two divisions below but exhibiting all the prowess requisite for success in the English top-flight.
How the "imposing" Azaz – as dubbed by Ashley Preece – has carried himself in the third tier this term has been extremely impressive, and if he can continue to nurture his abilities at Premier League level with Villa, he could become a shrewd, homegrown sensation in the midlands.
He might not quite have the flair or elegance of the likes of Grealish and Coutinho, but the mechanical, industrious way he exerts his authority and dynamism cannot be understated.