Aston Villa and Tottenham have golden chance to sign £25m ace, he's played only three games this season

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Following an ‘extraordinary’ breakout season which caught the eye of Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and numerous other Premier League clubs, 2024/25 was supposed to be his year.

The year when one of the rising stars of Serie A football truly established himself as a force to be reckoned with. When he joined the truly elite full-backs of world football.

Instead, to quote one Italian publication, a campaign which promised so much for Michael Kayode is quickly turning into a year of ‘regression’.

So much so that, ahead of the January transfer window, a prospective move to Aston Villa, Tottenham, Liverpool or any of the Fiorentina benchwarmer’s other suitors feels, well, somewhat less inevitable than it did in those sunny summer months.

TBR understands that, back in June, Aston Villa held talks with Kayode’s camp regarding a potential £25 million switch to the Midlands. Tottenham were interested in the Fiorentina speedster too, viewing the Italy Under 21 international as a potential replacement for the Milan-bound Emerson Royal.

Aston Villa and Tottenham target Michael Kayode out of favour in Serie A

In recent times, Liverpool have been linked with Michael Kayode as well. Ditto a Newcastle United outfit who look increasingly likely to part with Kieran Trippier sooner rather than later.

But with Kayode arguably the biggest victim of Vincenzo Italiano’s switch to Bologna – replacement head coach Raffaele Palladino prefers Dodo in the right-back spot – the much-admired wideman has featured in only three of Fiorentina’s 12 Serie A matches this term.

In fact, he is yet to start a single one. Kayode has managed just 25 minutes on the pitch in the Palladino era thus far.

“What a regression for Kayode,” Tuttomercatoweb write. “In a season where everything is going well in Florence, the [lack of game time] for Michael Kayode is surprising.”

Now, this is not to say a January transfer is out of the question. Aston Villa and Tottenham arguably still need cover at right-back. Newcastle could still lose Kieran Tripper, while Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract will still expire next summer.

Brentford, as confirmed by Kayode’s agent, are also in the mix. They too may be in the market for a right-sided defender. Centre-half Sepp van den Berg started on the flank against Bournemouth last time out, after all.

"Everyone knew that Aston Villa and Brentford had come forward," Andrea Ritorni, Kayode’s agent, told Radio Firenze Viola a few months ago. "It's good when a boy (has interest from) a major league like the English one.”

Reports say Michael Kayode could leave Fiorentina in 2025

Corriere dello Sport report that, with an ‘exceptional’ breakout season giving way to a difficult second one, Kayode is now likely to give serious consideration to a move should Villa, for instance, come knocking again.

Whether they do or not remains to be seen. But with Kayode seemingly more expendable at Fiorentina in the post-Italiano regime, convincing the Serie A high-flyers to cash in may be a far easier task than it was in the summer.

Though Kayode, it should be said, is taking his new benchwarming role with plenty of grace.

“[Losing by spot to Dodo is] absolutely not a disappointment,” he tells reporters. “The coach takes me into consideration and, when there is space like in the cup, he lets me play, so I can’t say I’m disappointed.

“Then, as always, there are some things that could be done better. But the relationship with the coach and the team continues very well.”