Michael Kayode could be the next big money full-back signing in the Premier League, after his rampant start to life at Brentford.
Brentford have lost a fair few of their stars over the last few years, with Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa all leaving for big money.
Kayode joined the club on loan in January from Fiorentina, making 12 appearances and totaling 528 minutes.
The Bees saw enough from his loan stint, taking their option to make the transfer permanent in the summer.
In this article, we’ll cover
Michael Kayode’s life with the Bees
Kayode has already become a key player for Keith Andrews’ Brentford side. He has made 12 appearances across all competitions, starting all nine Premier League matches.
Brentford fans have already taken to the marauding full-back, earning himself his own song and the August Player of the Month award.
But as Premier League clubs continue to value acquiring players who have experience in the league, Brentford should be braced for any move for their full-back maestro. His skillset is becoming more and more valuable with the current tactical landscape.
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Brentford’s gameplan
After Thomas Frank left the club this summer, many were worried for the future of Brentford. The Bees promoted set-piece coach Andrews to the role, his first taste of management.
But Andrews has been quick to establish a playstyle for his side. Brentford have played the highest percentage of forward passes in the league (37.8%), and they thrive from set-pieces, with 4.21 Expected Goals generated from them.
A stat from Brentford’s 3-2 victory over Liverpool at the weekend also highlights their fine margins playstyle. According to the Athletic, the Bees took nine minutes and 24 seconds across their throw-ins in the match. Across the season as a whole, Brentford average 25 seconds per throw.
Kayode plays a huge part in this. He possesses one of the biggest weapons in the Premier League right now, in his rocket launcher of a throw.
Desirable skillset
But his long throw isn’t the only desirable trait the 21-year-old has in his locker. Kayode is a perfect example of a player suiting the current direction of the Premier League.
The 5’10” full-back is an athletic freak. He has high levels of strength and speed, allowing him to glide past players with his running power.
The league is currently in a state where physicality comes first, contesting duels and deciding games in transition at both ends of the pitch.
Both of these areas are strengths for Kayode, who has the highest distance covered with carries for Brentford this season (1,024.6 metres) and the third-highest progressive carries per 90 minutes (5.19).
He also contests 7.33 ground duels per 90 (winning 4.17) and contests 1.35 aerial duels per 90, winning possession back for his side 4.40 times per 90.
Kayode can offer support to his winger with explosive runs on both the overlap and underlap, getting into dangerous areas to deliver crosses.
The 21-year-old is averaging 1.92 crosses per 90, with 0.90 of those being successful. He is also the Brentford player with the highest percentage of successful final third passes (70.2%), showing his importance in the attacking third.
Being a unique profile who suits the current tactical meta in the Premier League, earning experience at a young age in the division and showing his quality at both ends of the pitch, it feels like only a matter of time before big clubs come sniffing around Brentford for another of their stars once again.