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Transfers
Aston Villa and Tottenham have golden chance to sign ‘extraordinary’ £25m ace now
Following an ‘extraordinary’ breakout season which caught the eye of Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and numerous other Premier League clubs, 2024/25 was supposed to be his year.
The year when one of the rising stars of Serie A football🐈 truly established himself as a force to be reckoned with. When 🧸he joined the truly elite full-backs of world football.
Instead, to quote one Italian publication, a campaign which promised so much for Michael Kayode is quickly turning into a year of ‘regression’.
So much so that, ahead of the January transfer window,🤪 a prospective move to Aston Villa, Tottenham, Liverpool or any of the Fiorentina benchwarmer’s other suitor💙s feels, well, somewhat less inevitable than it did in those sunny summer months.
TBR understands that, back in June, Aston Villa held talks with Kayode’s camp regarding a potential £25 million switch to the Midlands. Tottenham were interested in th🌃e Fiorentina speedster to🍃o, viewing the Italy Under 21 international as a potential꧃ replacement for the Milan-bound Emerson Royal.
Aston Villa and Tottenham target Michael Kayode out of favour in Serie A
In recent times, Liverpool have been linked with Michael Kayode as well♊. Ditto a Newcastle United outfit who look increasingly likely to part with Kieran Trippier sooner rather than later.
But with Kayode arguably the biggest victim of Vincenzo Italiano’s switch to Bologna – replacement head coach Raffaele Palladino prefers Dℱodo in the right-back spot – the much-admired wideman has featured in only three of Fiorentina’s 12 Serie 🥂A matches this term.
In fact, he is yet to start a single one. Kayode has managed just 25🐈 minutes on th🀅e pitch in the Palladino era thus far.
“What a regression for Kayode,” write. “In a season where everythingꦇ is going well in Florence, the [lack of game time] for Michael Kayode is surprising.ꦓ”
Now, this is not to say a January transfer is out of the question. Aston Villa and Tottenham arguably still need cover at right-back. Newcastle could still lose Kieran Tripper, while Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract willꦚ still expire next summer.
Brentford, as confirmed ꦯby Kayode’s⭕ agent, are also in the mix. They too may be in the market for a right-sided defender. Centre-half Sepp van den Berg started on the flank against Bournemouth last time out, after all.
“Everyone knew that Aston Villa and Brentford had come forward,” Andrea Ritorni, Kayode’s agent, told a few months ago. “It’s good🃏 when a boy (has interest from) a major league like the English one.”
Reports say Michael Kayode could leave Fiorentina in 2025
report that, with an ‘exceptional😼’ breako🐻ut season giving way to a difficult second one, Kayode is now likely to give serious consideration to a move should Villa, for instance, come knocking again.
Whether they do or not remains to be seen. But with Kayode seemingly more expendable at Fiorentina in the post-Italiaℱno regime, convincing the Serie A high-flyers to cash in may be a far easier task than it was in the summer.
Though Kayode, it should be said, is taking his new benchwarm🍸ing role with plenty of grace.
“[Losing𓃲 by spot to Dodo is] absolutely not a disappointment,” he tells reporters. “The coach takes me into consideration and, when ✤there is space like in the cup, he lets me play, so I can’t say I’m disappointed.
“Then,🌳 as always, there are some things that could be done better. But the relationship with the coach and the te🥀am continues very well.”