Aston Villa have now submitted a fresh bid for a player to rival or replace Matty Cash in the right-back position in 2024/25.
Aston Villa have made a stellar start to the summer transfer window.
Ian Maatsen was confirmed as their second signing on Friday after Lewis Dobbin arrived from Everton with Tim Iroegbunham moving in the other direction.
That duo will soon be followed by Samuel Iling-Junior, Enzo Barrenchea and Ross Barkley through the doors at Villa Park.
Monchi and Unai Emery deserve all the credit for acting fast to alleviate their PSR issues and sign players capable of playing in the Champions League.
During his time in Birmingham, the Spanish tactician has always had one eye on the future, as demonstrated by the January signings of Lino Sousa, Kosta Nedeljkovic and Morgan Rogers.
Emery is now looking to add to that plethora of young talent as reports emerge of Villa tabling a bid for a young right-back.
Aston Villa submit an improved bid for Fiorentina’s Michael Kayode
Earlier this week, Aston Villa reportedly tabled a €15m (£12.7m) bid for Fiorentina right-back Michael Kayode.
That was instantly knocked back, with the Italian giants holding out for €30m £25.4m. Villa have since tested the waters with an improved second bid of €20m (£17m) and as relayed by Viola News, that sum was also rejected.
It appears Fiorentina are holding out for their initial asking price as they value the 2004-born defender highly, although they may have no choice but to sell him.
The head scout of VigoGlobalSport Andrea Ritorni – the agency Kayode belongs to – revealed in an interview for FirenzeViola that the 19-year-old is ‘flattered’ by the interest from Premier League clubs.
He said: “Of course, when offers like this arrive [referring to rumours of offers from the Premier League], it means that Fiorentina have a good player on their hands. I can tell you that there are no concrete offers, but the interest can only flatter the player and the club.”
How Michael Kayode would be an improvement on Matty Cash
Although Villa already have a young right-back at the club in Nedeljkovic, Emery appears to want to add another as it’s likely Matty Cash could depart.
Kayode played 26 times in Serie A for Fiorentina last term, scoring once and assisting twice but it wasn’t going forward where the Italian excelled, showcasing his intelligence to step out from defence and intercept opponents.
Lauded for his top recovery pace and athleticism that have seen him draw comparisons to Manchester City’s Kyle Walker, Kayode ranked in the top 12% of defenders for tackles in the Italian top division last season.
It is therefore no surprise that talent scout Antonio Mango described him as “super”, with the Italy under-21 international offering defensive solidity at the back.
That was an area where Cash was criticised last term, as while he was strong going forward, the 26-year-old would often switch off and lose his man.
This is why Emery shifted Ezri Konsa, an excellent one-on-one defender, out to the right instead of playing Cash as a natural right-back.
Villa want someone excellent at defending to play that position and in the early stages of his career so far, Kayode has proven he’s more than capable of replacing the Poland international down the right.
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