Opinion : Nigeria should make a move for Arsenal midfielder who is also eligible for England, Spain

An established fact is that youths are the future of football and that is why every team around the world lay emphasis on having as many youngsters as possible on their roster.

However, international football is a bit different. It is well-known that clubs have the opportunity to sign players when they wish while national teams are not allowed the luxury.

In spite of this handicap, there is one hope for national teams. They can get players who have roots or connections to their countries to play for them.

This is why most national sides try to tie down talented players by capping them at the senior level quickly.

Nigeria have to move quickly for Arsenal wonderkid Miguel Azeez as he is one of the brightest prospects to come out of the Hale End Academy in recent years.

The 19-year-old was born in London to a Spanish mom and Nigerian dad, making him eligible to represent the national teams of England, Nigeria and Spain.

The central  midfielder is a control freak who is already mastering the art of dictating the midfield tempo despite his tender years.

He has been capped at U16, U17, U18, U19 and U20 levels by England which is a testament to how highly rated he is.

However, Nigeria has one major advantage to explore when trying to get Azeez to play for the Super Eagles.

With the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Connor Gallagher, Emile Smith Rowe and even Jack Grealish ahead of him, Azeez would have a tough time trying to break into Gareth Southgate's squad.

In the Nigeria squad, Joe Aribo, Alhassan Yusuf and maybe Alex Iwobi, depending on the tactical set-up, are the ones who have natural traits to play in Azeez's position.

Putting it simply, he has a better chance of breaking into the Super Eagles' first team than England's.

The Hale End Academy graduate is a top-drawer future star in the making and Nigeria would do well to move to secure him now before he is cap-tied by one of the European nations.

Sofoluwe Mayowa

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