Arsenal academy starlet and ex-Portsmouth loanee Miguel Azeez has seemingly sparked fresh controversy during his loan spell with Wigan Athletic, as per Wigan Today.
While Azeez is not the player directly involved, the incident is believed to be in relation to the Arsenal youngster. His brother Femi Azeez, who was part of the Reading side at the weekend, was seen confronting Wigan boss Shaun Maloney with another individual believed to be Miguel’s father. The confrontation is thought to be regarding the on-loan player’s playing time during his time with the Latics.
Lack of playing time.
The Latics have been in a difficult position all season, and this weekend’s draw with Reading saw the club’s relegation to League One confirmed.Â
Azeez joined the club on loan in January but has only featured twice since making the switch. Despite only joining in January, current boss Shaun Maloney has not named the youngster as part of his side since he took over from the departing Kolo Toure in the same month.
Yet another setback.
This represents more troubles for the 20-year-old career, it is believed Miguel has been the subject of disciplinary action during his time at Wigan, having been sent to the academy for a fortnight for reportedly disrespecting a member of the Latics’ coaching staff.
In September 2021, he was given his first loan spell with Portsmouth; Danny Cowley viewed the signing of the midfielder as a coup. However, he failed to impress during his time at Fratton Park, and after 10 games which saw him score once, he was sent back to Arsenal, cutting his season-long loan short.
In September 2022, he would earn another chance to impress on loan, as he would join SD Ibiza in the Spanish Segunda Division. Once again, after 10 games, he would be recalled by Arsenal in January, before joining Wigan on loan.
After being signed by Kolo Toure in January, his debut would spark controversy immediately, as he would receive a one-match ban and a £1,250 fine after picking up a flare that was thrown onto the pitch. He would return to start against Luton, but defeat saw the dismissal of Toure; this would be the last time the midfielder would feature.
What’s been said?
Following the full-time whistle on Saturday, Latics boss Shaun Maloney would make his way onto the pitch to console his players as well as thank the travelling supporters. Wigan fans spotted Maloney approached by Femi Azeez, who was a second-half substitute for the opposition; many fans believe the conversation to be regarding his brother’s playing time, as another individual, believed to be their father, was also seen confronting the Latics boss. Femi had spoken out about the situation regarding Miguel’s playing time prior to this fixture.
When asked about the youngster’s position with the club back in February, Maloney claimed that he needs to “work harder” and “focus on being a good teammate”.
Writers View
It is clear that this is becoming somewhat of an issue for the talented youngster, having been sent back from clubs in the past. His suspension on his debut marks the beginning of a run of poor discipline during this loan spell. However, the club has been in a very poor position all season, normally this could be attributed to this situation, but it is unclear what the reasoning was for his departure from his previous two loan spells.
If this is to be true regarding discipline issues, it is something he certainly needs to address to get his career back on track.
