Arsenal lose out on Nigerian-Italian fullback Michael Kayode as he signs new Fiorentina contract

ENGLISH Premier League giants Arsenal have failed in their bid to sign Nigerian-Italian teenage defender Michael Kayode after he agreed a new contract with his existing Serie A club Fiorentina.

Kayode, 19, plays as a rightback and Arsenal had been monitoring the youngster with a view to making a move for his services during the January transfer window. However, Fiorentina have succeeded in fending off this interest from Arsenal and other clubs by announcing a new deal for the defender.

Transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Kayode has agreed to sign a new deal with Fiorentina which will be valid until the end of the 2027/28 season. Fiorentina will confirm the agreement that has been reached with the player in the coming days, thus closing the chapter on the matter.

Kayode has seen his stock rise after some impressive displays for Italy at the 2023 European U19 Championship, where he scored the game-winning goal in the showpiece against Portugal and was deployed in multiple positions. He has since broken into Fiorentina's first team, making seven appearances across all competitions this term and earned his first call-up to Italy's U21 national team in September.

Born in Italy, Kayode joined Fiorentina in the summer of 2021 after spells with the youth teams of Juventus and Gozzano. If he is to opt for Nigeria at senior level, he will need to go through a switch with Fifa, as he has already played for Italy's youth team.