Italy Nations League Squad News: Changing of the guard for Azzurri as Kayode lays claim to right-back berth

Michael Kayode has had to be patient when it comes to international football, but his Italy debut was certainly worth the wait.

The Brentford star was finally called up by returning manager Roberto Mancini last month, after featuring regularly for the Azzurri’s youth teams since 2021.

And Napoli’s Giovanni Di Lorenzo was initially preferred to the 22-year-old at right-back, as Italy kicked off their 2026/27 Nations League campaign with a disappointing 2-0 home defeat against Belgium.

That result prompted a change of thinking from Mancini, who handed Kayode a first start for Monday’s trip to Türkiye.

To say that he grasped his opportunity with both hands would be an understatement. The debutant helped Italy to a rampant 4-1 victory – scoring their third of the night and delivering a man-of-the-match performance.

So, has Kayode now locked down the Nazionale right-back berth for the foreseeable future?

Ahead of this evening’s clash with France, we consider whether the Piedmont native can see off competition from Di Lorenzo and Marco Palestra to become a mainstay in the team for years to come.

A night to remember

Kayode is unlikely to forget his maiden national team outing in a hurry.

The former Fiorentina man impressed throughout the triumph over Türkiye earlier this week, lining up on the right side of a back four in a 4-3-3 formation.

He played a part in Italy’s second goal in Bursa – forcing a low save from goalkeeper Altay Bayındır in the 22nd minute, which fell into the path of Davide Frattesi who tapped home.

Things then got even better for Brentford’s No.33, as he found himself on the scoresheet just five minutes later.

A neat passing move from the Azzurri saw them work the ball across the penalty area to Kayode, who slotted a low effort into the bottom-right corner.

His all-action display was a stark contrast with Di Lorenzo’s ineffective showing against Belgium three days earlier, prompting suggestions the 33-year-old’s time as Italy’s starting right-back could be coming to an end.

Time will tell whether that assessment is premature or not, but an opportunity certainly looks to have arisen for Kayode to get a sustained run in that position.

A more likely long-term challenger is Chelsea’s Palestra, who missed out on the current camp through a quadricep injury that he sustained prior to this season.

There is no doubting the former Atalanta defender’s ability – and at 21, he is also a potential long-term solution on the right.

However, Mancini may be spared an unwelcome dilemma through both players’ versatility.

Kayode can operate at right-back or as a wing-back if the experienced tactician chooses to implement a three-man rearguard at some stage with Italy.

But the truly flexible player is Palestra, who featured in a whole host of roles while on loan at Cagliari last season.

That included 276 Serie A minutes on the left flank, brief stints at centre-back and plenty of time spent in more advanced positions on the right.

Though there is plenty of competition elsewhere on the pitch – not least a left-back with Riccardo Calafiori and Matteo Ruggeri in the squad – it isn’t inconceivable that both Kayode and Palestra could start together for Italy.

Brentford brilliance

One area where Kayode may have the edge over his rivals is the regular game time he is receiving at Brentford.

Featuring consistently in the Premier League means he will develop rapidly while facing top-quality opposition week in, week out.

That may not necessarily be true of Di Lorenzo in Serie A, though the Napoli veteran is due to play Champions League football with the Partenopei this season.

Palestra could emerge as a Chelsea mainstay, of course, but it will be some time until he has a body of work to rival Kayode’s 54 top-flight appearances for the Bees.

He has excelled over that period, as reflected in his impressive numbers from the 2025/26 campaign.

Only four players across the entire division completed more take-ons than the all-action full-back (55), while he was also reliable in a defensive sense – regaining possession a significant 91 times in the defensive third for Brentford.

With a superb long throw to boot, Mancini will surely appreciate the array of attributes that Kayode can bring to the national side.

Elite club interest

Kayode signed a new long-term contract with Brentford back in July – but that is unlikely to deter the Premier League’s biggest clubs from expressing interest in the newly-capped star.

That deal technically extends his stay at the Gtech Community Stadium until the summer of 2032, but the youngster will surely move up the food chain before then if his recent trajectory is anything to go by.

After all, Manchester City were linked with a £35 million bid for the Borgomanero-born defender midway through last term – though the current upheaval at the Etihad Stadium creates some doubt over whether a potential transfer will be revisited.

A more likely destination is Liverpool, who have reportedly also previously expressed an interest in Kayode.

With Jeremie Frimpong struggling defensively this season, signing a replacement right-back could well be on the agenda at Anfield – whether in January or next summer.

The Reds could do a lot worse than acquiring Kayode, while a switch to one of Europe’s elite clubs may be the catalyst for nailing down a long-term spot in Italy's starting XI in the run-up to Euro 2028 and beyond.