[Albion] Michael Kayode

[Bozza]

20-year-old Italian under-21 right-back at Fiorentina.

Us and Brentford linked. Villa tried in the summer.

As a right-back, there's a decent that yes, he can in fact play right-back.

Esclusiva SI - Pedullà: "Fiorentina, Kayode può partire: c'è la Premier" - SportItalia.it

La posizione di Michael Kayode alla Fiorentina è sempre più in bilico. Il giovane terzino è finito nell’ombra di Dodò. Il brasiliano sta vivendo un grande momento e la sua titolarità non sembra poter essere messa in discussione. Motivo per cui l’esterno azzurro sembra deciso a lasciare Firenze...

www.sportitalia.it

 

[Madafwo]

Winner takes all today then? Or is it another case of an agent planting a "Brighton are interested, so he must be special" seed.

 

[Hugo Rune]

If Lamptey is leaving us in January or June, this signing is absolutely needed.



His highlights indicate great pace (he’d surely be our fastest defender). Power and aerial ability beyond his 5’10 frame; he won’t be pushed off the ball. Really good crossing ability with a dribbling trick or two up his sleeve. And finally he looks like he can tackle and he can play left back too!

 

[Han Solo]

I mentioned him a few times this summer:

Going for Wesley is a little bit like going for Fiorentinas Michael Kayode: it makes perfect sense, but the problem is that probably 10+ other clubs feel the same way.

I'd take it, the RB/RWB market looks absolutely shite this summer. Almost nothing in the "would start now and could grow into world class in a few years". Michael Kayode from Fiorentina maybe, but Villa seems to be after him. Probably signing a player closer to his peak, like this one.

I said early in the window that the right back market looks utterly shit, with Michael Kayode from Fiorentina being the only somewhat realistic target with fitting "typical Albion metrics".

Had there been a great RB available on the market I think it would have been a priority, but right now I don't see many players who would be a "guaranteed" improvement over Veltman/Lamptey/Hinshelwood.

Don't see us not being interested if he is available.

 

[pigmanovich]

As a right-back, there's a decent that yes, he can in fact play right-back.

But is he shithouse?

 

[medwayseagull reborn]

If Lamptey is leaving us in January or June, this signing is absolutely needed.



His highlights indicate great pace (he’d surely be out fasted defender). Power and aerial ability beyond his 5’10 frame; he won’t be pushed off the ball. Really good crossing ability with a dribbling trick or two up his sleeve. And finally he looks like he can tackle and he can play left back too

You make him sound like he is a candidate for the Ballon d'or.

 

[Bozza]

I mentioned him a few times this summer:







Don't see us not being interested if he is available.

Ah, sorry - I only searched thread titles for "Kayode", so didn't find any prior references.

Great scouting, as always!

 

[Hugo Rune]

You make him sound like he is a candidate for the Ballon d'or.

I suppose player showreels all do this to some extent and that’s what I based my observations on.

I suspect that his finder, @Han Solo, has watched him a number of times and knows an awful lot more about his strengths and weaknesses. Hopefully he can spin a similarly positive tale.

 

[Han Solo]

I don't think we're gonna let Brentford get this guy so I imagine he'll come to us now.

 

[deslynhamsmoustache1]

If we brought in a new centre half, would it be beyond the world of possibilities that Igor returns to "The Violets" as a player plus cash deal??

 

[Han Solo]

If we brought in a new centre half, would it be beyond the world of possibilities that Igor returns to "The Violets" as a player plus cash deal??

Could see him going back to Italy but probably going to be seperate deals in that case.

mr Kayode here appears to certainly be on his way to PL though, Fiorentina appears to have found their replacement, and most of the talk is about Brentford or Brighton. My money would be that he's coming to us to get eased in over the spring and then start next season.

He is a really good player, playing with the Italian U21 national team, who has had some bad luck facing competition from Brazilian national team RB Dodo and not played a lot this season. I guess Brighton and Brentford are the only clubs that understand the circumstances... good for us.

 

[aolstudios]

But is he shithouse?

By far the most important question

 

[Hugo Rune]

Could see him going back to Italy but probably going to be seperate deals in that case.

mr Kayode here appears to certainly be on his way to PL though, Fiorentina appears to have found their replacement, and most of the talk is about Brentford or Brighton. My money would be that he's coming to us to get eased in over the spring and then start next season.

He is a really good player, playing with the Italian U21 national team, who has had some bad luck facing competition from Brazilian national team RB Dodo and not played a lot this season. I guess Brighton and Brentford are the only clubs that understand the circumstances... good for us.

Brentford might be ahead of us though:


I have a friend who is Brentford STH. They are absolutely desperate for a full back. They might be prepared to pay more than us, especially after our astonishing summer spending spree.

 

[GT49er]

If Lamptey is leaving us in January or June, this signing is absolutely needed.

Absolutely needed? You're ruling out promotion from within then? It may only be League 1, but Blackpool fans are seriously impressed by Offiah, and reckon he'll be playing for us before too long - and he's been playing the full 90 minutes at RB every game for a while now.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Absolutely needed? You're ruling out promotion from within then? It may only be League 1, but Blackpool fans are seriously impressed by Offiah, and reckon he'll be playing for us before too long - and he's been playing the full 90 minutes at RB every game for a while now.

He is a RB or a RCB though?

This from the Blackpool Forum…

“We are so lucky to have him what a quality player, we should play him up front, he ticks all the boxes, big, strong, fast, great first touch, cool under pressure, this lad is one of the best centre halves I have ever seen, just hope he doesn’t get recalled before the season finishes, he’s good enough to play in the premier league now.”

He is probably a bit of both (like Veltman). However, his development would need to be going very well indeed for him to reach the ‘top half EPL right back’ level we’d want and need. I’ve not seen him play for Blackpool, it’s possible that he has reached that standard of course. But it’s a huge jump up for him.

 

[deslynhamsmoustache1]

He is a RB or a RCB though?

This from the Blackpool Forum…

“We are so lucky to have him what a quality player, we should play him up front, he ticks all the boxes, big, strong, fast, great first touch, cool under pressure, this lad is one of the best centre halves I have ever seen, just hope he doesn’t get recalled before the season finishes, he’s good enough to play in the premier league now.”

He is probably a bit of both (like Veltman). However, his development would need to be going very well indeed for him to reach the ‘top half EPL right back’ level we’d want and need. I’ve not seen him play for Blackpool, it’s possible that he has reached that standard of course. But it’s a huge jump up for him.

Would guess that the clubs path for him would be something like stay at Blackpool till the end of the season, loaned to an upper Championship club and then first team squad 2026/27. Alternatively back next week - who knows.

 

[GT49er]

He is a RB or a RCB though?

Both I think, really. He has sometimes been listed as a CB (and early this season he was alternating between CB and RB at Blackpool) but pretty much played as a RB in PL2 for us, sometimes as a RCB when they went three at the back. He was also played at RB in his short stay at Tynecastle.

This from the Blackpool Forum…

“We are so lucky to have him what a quality player, we should play him up front, he ticks all the boxes, big, strong, fast, great first touch, cool under pressure, this lad is one of the best centre halves I have ever seen, just hope he doesn’t get recalled before the season finishes, he’s good enough to play in the premier league now.”

Yep, that looks like one of the posts from the 'Offiah' thread on AVFTT (there was a link to it on the Loanee Tracker thread a week or two ago) - and he was doing OK for them as a CB too before what seems to have become a permanent (whilst on this loan) move to RB.

He is probably a bit of both (like Veltman). However, his development would need to be going very well indeed for him to reach the ‘top half EPL right back’ level we’d want and need. I’ve not seen him play for Blackpool, it’s possible that he has reached that standard of course. But it’s a huge jump up for him.

Yep, probably a fair enough comparison; I suspect he is faster than our crafty Dutchman though - and he's also quite a big unit. It is a big jump to the PL, of course - and I'm certainly not in a position to judge whether he can make it or not, there's people at the club paid good money to do that - but Hinsh has managed to jump straight from PL2 to the PL (without an EFL loan) and Sanchez managed it pretty well. Ben White only required one bridging season in the Championship - and TBH I'm not sure the jump from League 1 is much bigger than the jump from, say, USG.
Interesting time for the lad this summer, is my best guess.

 

[GT49er]

Would guess that the clubs path for him would be something like stay at Blackpool till the end of the season, loaned to an upper Championship club and then first team squad 2026/27. Alternatively back next week - who knows.

You're forgetting the incoming bid from Stamford Bridge!

 

[Han Solo]

Even more likely now with Ferdi injured.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Even more likely now with Ferdi injured.

Not looking good is it!