Player sends West Brom message after leaving Albion to join Aston Villa | OneFootball

Finn Azaz has sent a message to West Bromwich Albion after joining local rivals Aston Villa in a permanent deal.

The 20-year-old midfielder is the latest Albion academy product to join the Villa Park outfit, joining former Baggies youth prospect Louie Barry.

Villa confirmed yesterday that Azaz had left the Baggies to join the club and had immediately been sent out on a season-long loan to Newport County.

Following what will no doubt be a controversial move in the West Midlands, the young player took to Twitter to send a message to his former club and thank them for “their part in my journey” before adding he was “excited for this new chapter”.

Azaz caught the eye while on loan with Cheltenham Town last season – featuring 44 times in all competitions as he helped the Robins win the League Two title and secure promotion.

It seems there could be yet more movement between the academies as earlier this month it was reported that Albion had accepted a six-figure offer for their 2020/21 Academy Player of the Season Tim Iroegbunam.

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The Hawthorns has been West Brom’s home ground since which year?

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The Verdict

It’s good to see Azaz thanking his former club after making a move that will no doubt be controversial.

There’s no doubt this will be frustrating for Albion and the Hawthorns faithful, particularly given how impressive Barry has been since making the move to Villa Park via Barcelona last year and with Iroegbunam seemingly set to follow.

This summer has been a positive one for the Baggies so far, with Valerien Ismael’s appointment making putting them among the frontrunners for promotion but losing talented young players to your rivals always hurts.

It’s going to be even more painful if Azaz forces his way into the Villa first team and helps them have success in the coming years.