Manchester City face summer Premier League transfer competition for in-demand right-back | OneFootball

Recruitment officials at Manchester City could be set for competition from cross-town rivals Manchester United and Newcastle United in the hunt for one of the Premier League’s leading right-back performers.

After Kyle Walker provided consistently excellent performances for a number of years at the Etihad Stadium, the right-back position became somewhat of a problem area for the Citizens until the emergence of Matheus Nunes as a consistent top-level performer.

The aforementioned English veteran’s form dipped dramatically during the first half of the 2024/25 season, and Rico Lewis largely failed to step up and fill the void left by Walker, despite having a place in the England senior squad at the time.

Instead, Pep Guardiola found his next right-back from central midfield, as the then-out of favour Nunes was shoe-horned in on the right-hand side of defence, providing a consistent attacking threat since with defensive work becoming increasingly solid game-by-game.

Even though the Portuguese international now feels fully comfortable as part of the backline, City still lack depth at right-back, and not only has Lewis failed to take up the mantle of Walker, but he has also seemingly lost his manager’s faith in his defensive abilities altogether.

Therefore, Brentford’s Michael Kayode has reportedly been added to their transfer shortlist ahead of the summer alongside Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento – who is said to remain as Hugo Viana’s number one defensive target.

TEAMtalk are reporting that Manchester United view Michael Kayode as a potential replacement for Diogo Dalot, while Newcastle United see the defender as their Livramento replacement.

The outlet also notes that Paris-Saint Germain and Bayern Munich have sent scouts to the Gtech Community Stadium to monitor Kayode, who is said to be happy in West London. But the sheer calibre of clubs interested in the Italian could turn his head in the summer.

The 21-year-old made his senior debut in Serie D when at just 17, playing 34 times for AC Gozzano, scoring two goals to help his side to promotion. It was that impressive form that saw him earn a move to Fiorentina, where he spent two years before establishing himself in the first team during the 2023/24 season.

In January 2025, Kayode left Florence after making 49 appearances for La Viola, opting to join Brentford on a loan deal with an option to buy. The Bees took up that option in the summer of 2025, signing the right-back for a fee of around £15 million.

Under Keith Andrews, Kayode has excelled both defensively and offensively, and his long throw has become an incredibly useful weapon in an era of the Premier League dominated by set pieces. This has led the Bees to put a price tag of over £50 million on the young defender.

Even if the future of Pep Guardiola is potentially uncertain, Manchester City can present a much more attractive project to Michael Kayode than the Red Devils or Magpies – who are both struggling with an element of managerial uncertainty.

Kayode may not have the Premier League experience of Livramento – and he is also not home-grown – but he has shown more than enough ability with Brentford, and could well become City’s number one target at right-back should he continue to excel this campaign.