Michael Kayode

Michael Olabode Kayode



Current Club: Brentford.

Previous Clubs: Fiorentina, Gozzano, Juventus.

Loan Clubs: Brentford, Gozzano.





International: N/A.

Trophies Won: European Under-19 Championships 2023.





The 19 year old joined Brentford initially on loan in January before completing a permanent move this summer, after he impressed. Primarily a right-back, but he can also play further forward on the right or at left-back. Kayode is one of the most exciting young talents around and it is, in my opinion at least, a coup for the Bees to manage to clinch him on a long term basis.



He is naturally a flying wing-back, who loves to charge forward, but is equally at home defending, unusually for the modern day full-back. Defensively very willing, he does not saunter back, but charges back to get into position and he is a very good one-on-one defender, akin to Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Kayode has a lot of pace, he is deceptively strong, uses his body well and has extremely quick feet to keep pace with a winger and to get the ball away from them.



Going forward, he is not the type to invert or to hold station, he is very much an attacking wing-back making runs down the flank and looking to overlap his wide player ahead of him. Kayode likes to do a little trick, a nutmeg or shimmy or just knock it past an opponent and burst forward, using his pace to power forward on the ball. When he gets into attacking areas, he is very useful, with the ability to pick out a pass or a player with a cross, rather than just looking to hit and hope.



He impressed me last season, whenever I saw him play for Brentford, even when he played on the left, but watching more footage of him has given me a bigger appreciation for his talent and what a steal he is for the Londoners. He is even good in the air, attacking the ball well. There are very few full-backs around that offer such a good balance of defence and attack, he is highly capable at both ends of the pitch. If he continues to improve, Brentford will struggle to hold on to him for long.



Requested by - N/A