Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Brentford right-back Michael Kayode.
CaughtOffside reports that the Reds are at a “monitoring and reporting” stage with the Italian.
However, Brentford have made it clear that the player is integral to Keith Andrews’ plans this term, with the Bees unwilling to contemplate selling the fullback in the upcoming January transfer window.
Michael Kayode arrival would spell the end of Jeremie Frimpong
We’re in no rush to consign a Liverpool star to a seemingly inevitable exit. That said, it’s difficult to imagine Jeremie Frimpong having much of a future at L4 if Kayode were to arrive at L4 in one of the upcoming transfer windows.
Liverpool have very much made it clear that Conor Bradley is deemed to be the long-term future of the club at right-back, which would then leave us with a surplus of right-back options (counting Ronald Araujo as an auxiliary option). Yes, Frimpong’s services could technically be useful for the forward line, but we’d much rather see Liverpool sign a dedicated right-sided winger to plug that considerable hole in the squad.
Of course, it’s worth pointing out that the potential signing of the 22-year-old would be a far from simple matter, given that Brentford extended his contract to the summer of 2032.
Indeed, CaughtOffside reports that the Premier League outfit will now look to demand “at least €60‑65M [£50.8m-55.1m] for any serious talks”.
Why would Liverpool be interested in Kayode?
The first notable comparison between Frimpong and Kayode is how far both fullbacks like to advance from the backline.
It’s pretty clear to see that the latter is considerably more reserved in his playing style than his Liverpool counterpart, opting to sit inside his own half more often.
Given that both Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez are fullbacks who naturally want to wade ahead into the opposition half – and we’ve since seen the benefit of having a natural sitter in Ronald Araujo – we can see why the club have an eye on Kayode. That’s reflected in the numbers from last term too.
| Michael Kayode’s stats (per 90) | Jeremie Frimpong’s stats (per 90) |
| 0.97 touches in opposition box | 5.98 touches in opposition box |
| 0.14 possession won in final third | 0.78 possession won in final third |
* Michael Kayode’s and Jeremie Frimpong’s stats for Brentford and Liverpool in the 2025/26 Premier League season (FotMob)
Michael Kayode has absolutely no interest in getting into the opponent’s penalty box. And that would suit the current iteration of Liverpool just fine, allowing Ronald Araujo the freedom to rotate in with Jeremy Jacquet and Virgil van Dijk as and when he’s needed as a centre-back option.
Even assuming Liverpool go out and sign some players who want to sit behind the ball (ideally in midfield), the Italy international is a useful profile to have within the squad for whenever Andoni Iraola wants to tweak the balance of his side.
Whether it’s a move we want to make happen (if we can make it happen) in January, of course, remains to be seen.
