Arsenal sniffing around Fiorentina talent Michael Kayode

Arsenal are tracking the progress of Fiorentina’s teenage prodigy Michael Kayode.

The North London club invested heavily in their squad over the summer, spending over £200 million on the likes of Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz and David Raya. So far, their business seems to be paying off, as Mikel Arteta’s side are the only team other than their bitter rivals Tottenham to remain unbeaten in the Premier League this term. They have an opportunity to go top of the table on Sunday if they beat Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium and other results go their way.

However, Arteta has already started planning for the January transfer window and seemingly wants to improve his team’s defensive options. It is important for him and Arsenal to have plans for the future. So much so that they are reportedly keeping tabs on Michael Kayode ahead of a potential bid in January.

In the wake of right-back Dodo’s ACL injury, Michael Kayode, 19, has been parachuted into the Fiorentina XI this season and he has grabbed the opportunities with both hands. The youngster, who is versatile and can play in multiple positions across the defence, has primarily operated at right-back for Fiorentina, making four Serie A appearances thus far.

The Italy under-19 international’s solid and consistent performances for La Viola have not gone unnoticed, making him a target for several top European clubs, including Arsenal. However, Fiorentina don’t want to lose Kayode and are desperate to tie him down to a new long-term contract instead.

Arsenal monitoring the progress of Michael Kayode

Kayode is already threatening to become one of Italy’s breakthrough talents this year. The teenager’s stock has risen in recent months and it is not a surprise Arsenal are interested in him. The Gunners scouted him during Fiorentina’s 3-0 win over Cagliari in Serie A, where the 19-year-old provided the first assist of his senior career on only his fourth league appearance. In fact, the Premier League giants were first alerted to Kayode’s sky-high potential after watching him in action for Italy at the U-19 European Championships, which the young Azzurri won.

Arsenal, under Mikel Arteta and Edu, have brought in some of the most exciting up-and-coming talents from Europe in recent years. Kayode perfectly fits that mould, while offering Arteta a more dynamic cover than Takehiro Tomiyasu for Ben White at right-back. Due to his ability to play in various positions across the defence, the La Viola starlet appears to be the archetypal Arteta defender.

Arteta will hope that Kayode doesn’t end up signing a new contract with Fiorentina by the New Year, so he can use his appeal to convince the player to sign for Arsenal. If Kayode keeps performing consistently and developing well, there is no reason why the Gunners will not table a bid for him in the winter transfer window.