Connect with us

Transfers

Arsenal interested in Fiorentina’s Michael Kayode

Published

on

The 2004-born defender was a product of the Juventus youth academy and played for fourth-tier side Gozzano before joining La Viola in 2021, and he is starting to make a name for himself at senior level.

After amassing six goals and four assists in 71 games for Fiorentina’s Primavera side, Kayode made his senior debut as a starter on the opening day of the 2023-24 Serie A season, playing 81 minutes in a 4-1 thumping of Genoa.

Kayode had previously made the bench for the Italian giants in the 2022-23 season, and he has made another three top-flight appearances for La Viola, registering an assist in a 3-0 win over Cagliari on Monday.

In addition, the teenager earned his first continental start in Fiorentina’s Europa Conference League opener with Genk last month, playing the full 90 in a 2-2 stalemate, and he is expected to nail down a place in the first XI as Dodo recovers from a severe ACL injury.

Standing at 5ft 10in tall, Kayode was a key player for Italy’s Under-19s during their run to European Championship glory this summer, scoring the only goal in the final against Portugal.

The right-back – who has also been deployed as a left and right-winger – has since earned his first call-up to the Azzurri’s Under-21s, and his exploits over the past few months have inevitably attracted attention from some of Europe’s leading clubs.

According to Calciomercato, Arsenal have sent scouts to Italy to monitor Kayode’s progress, and they have had their eye on the defender since his European Championship-winning contributions over the summer.

Kayode is only contracted to Fiorentina until the summer of 2025, although his terms include a 12-month extension option, and the report adds that the Europa Conference League finalists are determined to tie him down to a new long-term deal.

La Viola supposedly want to extend his stay in Serie A until 2027 or 2028, but Arsenal remain attentive to the situation and will be ready to pounce if talks between Kayode and Fiorentina lead to nowhere.

Juventus could also try to bring Kayode back to Turin, as the Bianconeri allegedly regret releasing the defender from their academy, having believed that he would not make it to the top level.

Arsenal strengthened their defensive ranks over the summer with the acquisition of Jurrien Timber from Ajax, but the Dutchman sustained an ACL injury on his Premier League debut and will miss most – if not all of – the rest of the season.

Nevertheless, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Cedric Soares all represent out-and-out right-back options for Mikel Arteta, while Thomas Partey has also filled in on that side when needed.

The Gunners are believed to have begun contract talks with White and are confident of reaching an agreement with the Englishman, but Cedric has made just one substitute appearance in the EFL Cup this season and is expected to leave when his deal runs out in 2024.

Arsenal sit third in the Premier League table and can leapfrog current leaders Manchester City should they overcome the champions on Sunday before the international break.

Author

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Transfers

I Regret Old Trafford Transfer, I Want To Go – Man United New Signing Cries Out

Published

on

Manchester United summer signing Manuel Ugarte is ‘unhappy’ and is already ‘regretting’ his decision to join the Premier League giants from PSG.

The Red Devils spent around £185m in the summer to sign Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.

One of their priorities in the summer was to sign a defensive midfielder and they signed Ugarte from Ligue Un giants PSG.

Man Utd were initially priced out of a move for Ugarte, but co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his recruitment team held firm before finalising a deal worth an initial £42m plus add-ons on deadline day.

Ugarte was mooted as a long-term replacement for Casemiro, but the Uruguay international has only made one Premier League start and was an unused substitute against Aston Villa last weekend.

Van Basten said: “Ugarte, who cost £50 million, you think, ‘how do you even think about paying so much money for that?’ That is really bizarre.”

He added: “It’s true that the big clubs, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Arsenal, they get the better ones and he [Erik ten Hag] always comes with second-rate players. That team has not got better.

“He remains a good trainer but if you see the purchasing policy and those boys which were then bought for 700 million, I don’t see any return on that, they’re still poorly organised.

“There is no star walking around who organises it, who leads, none. A few years ago Marcus Rashford was a great player, he can’t do anything about this any more, it’s unbelievable. It’s strange for that a boy who was a world star years ago.”

A report in Spain claims Uagrte ‘regrets joining Man Utd in the summer’ as he already ‘appears to be reconsidering his decision’ to sign for the Premier League giants.

Ugarte is reportedly’ not happy’ at Man Utd as his ‘limited participation’ has ‘frustrated’ the defensive midfielder.

‘Manuel Ugarte appears to be reconsidering his decision to join Manchester United in the last summer transfer window. The Uruguayan midfielder is not having the experience he expected with Erik Ten Hag as his new coach. Although he was expected to have an important role in the team, his participation has been much more limited than anticipated, generating frustration in the player.

Author

Continue Reading

Transfers

Arsenal’s Defender In Demand By Real Madrid Ahead Of 2025 Transfer

Published

on

Saliba pinpoints what Arsenal did well against Man City

Real Madrid are expected to sign a new centre-back in 2025. Their failure to secure the services of Leny Yoro, who ended up joining Manchester United, during the summer has meant that Carlo Ancelotti will be short in that department for the first half of the season at least.

Ideally, club officials want to wrap up a deal in January, with the likes of Castello Lukeba, Jorrel Hato and Vitor Reis on their shortlist. However, they could opt to wait until next summer to land an even bigger fish.

According to le10sport, Real Madrid have William Saliba as their dream centre-back signing. They are reportedly prepared to go all-out to do a deal with Arsenal, and already, they have been in contact with his representatives.

Saliba is one of the best central defenders in the world, of that there is no doubt. He would be an incredible signing for Real Madrid, should they decide to pay big money for his services.

Author

Continue Reading

Transfers

Troubled Manchester United To Offload Zirkzee In January

Published

on

Joshua Zirkzee could leave Manchester United as early as January after a disappointing start to his Old Trafford career, the Italian press have claimed.

According to Calciomercato, if Zirkzee’s troublesome spell continues then he might follow in the footsteps of Romelu Lukaku by leaving a Premier League club early and returning to Italy.

Lukaku played for Man Utd between 2017 and 2019, while he spent just one season back at Chelsea before returning to Inter Milan on loan in the 2022-23 season.

There is supposedly the possibility of an early ‘separation’ between Man Utd and Zirkzee as the Netherlands striker has netted just one goal in 10 appearances for the Red Devils so far.

Following a £36.5million (€43.5m / US$47.8m) move from Bologna in July, Zirkzee marked his Man Utd debut by scoring a late winner against Fulham in his team’s first Premier League match of the campaign.

But Zirkzee has failed to build on that short, game-changing display and has come in for criticism in recent weeks.

Calciomercato state that AC Milan, Juventus and Roma are all keeping tabs on the 23-year-old’s situation. Those three Italian giants may swoop in if they discover that Man Utd are open to selling Zirkzee in the winter transfer window.

Milan were very keen on landing Zirkzee in the summer. The Rossoneri missed out on him to Man Utd but could soon be given another opportunity to strike a deal.

Joshua Zirkzee transfer value has dropped
Sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk transfer insider Rudy Galetti that the Man Utd hierarchy are frustrated with the fact that Zirkzee’s value has dropped since his summer switch, and they may be open to loaning him out in the future.

TEAMtalk can also confirm that Juventus and Milan are indeed interest in the attacker. Thiago Motta would like to reunite with him at Juve, as the pair struck up a great relationship during their time together at Bologna.

Author

Continue Reading

Trending