Serie A

Who Is Michael Kayode? The New Italian Golden Boy

Fiorentina fullback Michael Kayode has been named the Best Italian Talent at the 2024 Golden Boy Awards, a recognition of his stellar season with the Serie A club.

The 20-year-old, born in Bergamo to Nigerian parents, has had a remarkable journey in football. Starting his youth career at Juventus, Kayode spent seven years at the academy before moving on in 2018.

In 2021, he joined Fiorentina after a stint in Serie D and quickly made his mark in their youth setup. His contributions helped the team win the Coppa Italia Primavera and the Supercoppa Italiana Primavera.

Kayode’s big break came in August 2023 when he made his Serie A debut in Fiorentina’s 4–1 victory over Genoa. By the season’s end, he had established himself as a vital part of the first team, featuring prominently in Serie A and during Fiorentina’s run to the UEFA Conference League final.

Internationally, Kayode has been equally impressive. A key figure in Italy’s youth squads, he played a vital role in the UEFA European U-19 Championship final in July 2023, leading Italy to victory over Portugal. He further solidified his rising profile with his U-21 debut on 17 October 2023, helping Italy secure a 2–0 win against Norway in Bolzano.

Profile in view

Michael Olabode Kayode is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Serie A club Fiorentina. He was born in Italy, Kayode is of Nigerian descent.

The son of Yoruba parents started his youth career at Juventus, where he remained for seven years until 2018. He played the 2020–21 season with Serie D club Gozzano, with which he scored two goals and two assists in 34 matches, and gained promotion to Serie C.

Serie A

Joao Felix Reveals Why He Rejected Aston Villa transfer

Joao Felix has revealed why he turned down a January transfer to Aston Villa in favour of a switch to AC Milan.

Villa boss Unai Emery is a big fan of the Portuguese forward, but Villa have failed in attempts to sign him in the last two transfer windows as he left Atletico Madrid for Chelsea for £45m last summer and then departed Stamford Bridge for Milan on loan before the end of the January transfer window.

Speaking in his first interview since moving to the San Siro, Felix said: “My agent told me about interest from other clubs, but I was already in negotiations with AC Milan. In my mind, this was the only option, I had already decided to come here.”

“For now, I’m on loan until June, we’ll see how it goes,” he added. “I’m liking everything: the club, the people, the infrastructure. My family and I have received a great welcome and I want to be in a place where I feel good. Things can change in football, but if there’s the chance to stay here, I’d like that.”

Felix made a great start to life at AC, scoring on his debut in a 3-1 win against Roma in the Coppa Italia.

“A week has already passed, it’s been fantastic with the two wins and my first goal at San Siro,” he said. “I knew that AC Milan was a big club, but I’m still surprised by the size of it, you understand straight away when you get here. It’s one of the biggest in Europe.

“I fell in love straight away with the atmosphere at San Siro, the atmosphere here is different.

“It was my first match and I didn’t expect the reception from the fans to be so affectionate. Let’s hope we can continue like this.”

Serie A

Lookman Set for February Return Following Knee Injury

Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman is expected to return to action before the end of February after recovering from a knee injury sustained in training last month.

The 27-year-old Nigerian international has missed the team’s last three matches across all competitions and will also be unavailable for both legs of Atalanta’s crucial UEFA Champions League play-off against Club Brugge.

According to Transfermarkt, Lookman is slated to make his comeback during Atalanta’s Serie A fixture against Empoli on February 23.

The former Leicester City player has been in stellar form this season, recording 14 goals and seven assists in 27 appearances. His return is expected to provide a significant boost to Gian Piero Gasperini’s side as they continue their campaign in both domestic and European competitions.

Serie A

Tomori Reaffirms Commitment to AC Milan After Semifinal Victory

AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori has pledged his loyalty to the club following their 3-1 victory that secured a place in the Coppa Italia semifinals.

The England international, who turned down a move to Tottenham, emphasized his dedication to the Rossoneri after Wednesday night’s triumph.

“We are all ready to help the team. We knew it was an important match for our season as we wanted to reach the semifinal,” Tomori stated. “After the derby, where we played a good game but didn’t win, it was still a good performance. Now we are happy with this result.”

Reflecting on his four years at Milan, he added:

“I have been here for four years, I am happy here. The last season hasn’t been what I wanted, but I feel at home and want to give my all for this team.”

Tomori also praised his teammates Joao Felix, Santi Gimenez, and Riccardo Sottil, who made their debuts during the match.

“They can help us, and I’m sure we can get where we want at the end of the season, both in the Coppa Italia and the Champions League,” he concluded.