In a recent report, journalist Alfredo Pedulla claimed that Aston Villa have made a move for Fiorentina full-back Michael Kayode. It has been stated that the Villans have launched an offer worth €15m plus bonuses for the Italian defender in the summer.
Kayode’s Impressive Rise In Serie A Football
Kayode experienced a decent campaign at the Italian club after he put in a string of impressive performances on the right side of their defence. The 19-year-old found the back of the net once and secured four assists in 37 appearances for Fiorentina last season across multiple competitions.
The talented teenager caught the eye at times on the right flank as he averaged 2.0 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 1.5 clearances, 0.6 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per game in Serie A. He has even interchanged possession with his teammates relatively well based on his pass completion rate of 87% in the Italian top tier (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at Fiorentina will run out in the summer of 2028. Thus, it won’t be easy for the Villans to sign him on the cheap this off-season.
Should Aston Villa Boss Unai Emery Bring Kayode To Villa Park?
Kayode is a good tackler of the ball and can read the danger well to earn possession back for his side inside his half. He doesn’t hesitate to clear the danger when needed and has got the eye to play a few decisive passes in the final third.
The Italian right-back is a decent dribbler with the ball as well and can chip in by picking up a few important assists for his team. However, he needs to add more goals to his game if he wants to be a world-class full-back someday.
At 19, Kayode has the potential to be a generational talent. Thus, Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery would be wise to get him on board in this summer transfer period. However, there are some concerns over whether he can maintain his good form in Premier League football.
Still, there is no denying that Kayode would increase competition for places within the West Midlands club‘s match-day squad. All in all, Emery should focus on bringing the Italian talent to Villa Park before the end of this transfer window.
