Girona are leading the race to sign Arsenal youth midfielder Miguel Azeez on a season-long loan deal, according to a report.

Miguel Azeez with the Arsenal u23s (Photo via Azeez on Twitter)
Miguel Azeez with the Arsenal u23s (Photo via Azeez on Twitter)

Chris Wheatley reports that Miguel Azeez is currently in talks over a season-long loan move to Spain, with newly-promoted La Liga club Girona leading the way to sign him.

Sky Sports previously reported that three La Liga clubs were interested in signing Azeez on loan, with Girona again listed among that trio.

Sky added that Arsenal would hold talks with Azeez before making a final decision over whether he should stay with the club or go on loan. But the midfielder has since been notably absent from pre-season pictures, suggesting a move could be close.

Azeez needs to be playing regularly at senior level if at all possible, but it’s hard to guarantee that.

The 19-year-old went out on his first loan to Portsmouth last season, which seemed like a good way to get a year of games under his belt. Yet he only made eight starts before being recalled in January.

On the surface of it, you might think that a loan to La Liga makes no sense if a loan to League One didn’t go well. But there’s an argument that the league might actually be a better fit for his talents.

Yunus Musah has certainly found a lot of success in Spain, after breaking through in the Arsenal youth teams alongside Azeez. Azeez could look to follow that blueprint.

Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and Miguel Azeez (Photo via Azeez on Twitter)
Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and Miguel Azeez (Photo via Azeez on Twitter)

Azeez initially joined training with the Arsenal u21s a couple of weeks ago, then he stepped up to first-team training for a day or two. But he missed the friendly against Ipswich Town and hasn’t been pictured with the senior side since.