Tottenham Hotspur are reported to be vying with Aston Villa for the signing of Serie A star Michael Kayode, who could upgrade an unwanted player in north London.
Kayode is a 20-year-old full-back who basically plays on the right side of the defence but can also work on the left if needed. He spent time in the Juventus academy but joined Fiorentina’s youth ranks in July 2021.
Kayode has enjoyed an impressive performance at Fiorentina and is now a regular in their first team, having made 37 appearances in all competitions last season.
The defender’s exciting performances have allowed him to work his way up the Italian under-21 team and also be a target for Premier League clubs.
Tottenham, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Manchester City have all been linked to Kayode’s moves, while in March they claimed Arsenal were “crazy” to sign him.
In June, it emerged that Tottenham were “serious” about winning the race for Kayode, but Villa began talks for him earlier this week.
According to the latest data from the Italian media, Spurs will challenge Villa for the youngster, as they “appreciate” his skills very much.
It’s ‘London calling’ for Kayode, with Spurs expected to submit a higher bid for him than Villa.
Ange Postecoglou’s team could also reach an agreement with Fiorentina. The Italian side have already asked for more than £34m for the player, but that sale value is expected to drop.
Reports imply that Nikola Milenkovic’s move to Nottingham Forest did not generate as much money as expected before the move window began, and that his desire to increase the budget will see Spurs sign Kayode for much less than £34m .
Kayode appears to be a contender to upgrade Emerson Royal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Emerson’s influence at Spurs has waned as the 2023-24 season has progressed, with Postecoglou largely keeping him on the bench in the latter stages of the Premier League campaign, culminating in the recent signing of sale of the club.
AC Milan are big fans of the Brazilian, despite his difficulties in north London, and have held several rounds of talks with Spurs as they try to finalize his signing.
Firstly, Milan and Spurs were far behind in their respective trials of the right-back, who at one point almost saw the move fail.
But the latest reports imply that Emerson’s move to Milan is expected to be finalized by the end of the week after the Rossoneri submitted a new offer for his services.