Analysis: Kayode one of Premier League's standout full-backs | OneFootball

Michael Kayode has signed a fresh six-year contract with Brentford after a sensational 2025/26 campaign, which saw him establish himself as one of the Premier League's standout full-backs.

It was Kayode's thunderous long throw that first captured attention, but his outstanding defensive and attacking qualities saw him shortlisted for the Premier League's Young Player of the Season award last term.

And the Bees have acted swiftly to tie him down on a deal that runs until the summer of 2032, with a club option of a further year.

Some signings take time to adapt to the intensity of the English top tier, but Kayode was not one of them.

After arriving on loan from Fiorentina in the second half of 2024/25, Kayode quickly showcased his impressive athleticism. A formidable one-on-one defender and dynamic ball carrier, he was dribbled past on just four occasions during his initial loan spell, with no Brentford player averaging more successful dribbles per 90 minutes.

After completing a permanent move last summer, the dynamic defender went on to make 37 appearances and play 3,264 minutes in the top flight for the Bees last term.

Only goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher and striker Igor Thiago racked up more minutes, underlining both Kayode's durability and importance to the side. That physical resilience was allied to an impressive jump in his creative output.

Kayode only turns 22 later this month, but Tottenham Hotspur's Pedro Porro and Nottingham Forest's Neco Williams were the only Premier League defenders to play more key passes than the Italian (34) last term. In fact, Kayode was hot on the heels of Brentford playmaker Mikkel Damsgaard (42) in this stat category.

There is a fearlessness to Kayode's football, and his ability to maraud forward and create openings was clear last October when he produced a record-breaking display at London Stadium against West Ham United.

In a commanding 2-0 win over the Hammers, Kayode ran the Bees’ hosts ragged. He became the first-ever Brentford player to create six chances from open play in a Premier League match, while his seven chances created overall saw him equal the highest total by an Italian player in an Opta-recorded Premier League game.

Such displays have reinforced what Brentford supporters already knew: Kayode's throw is only one part of an increasingly complete game.

"There are lots of other parts of my game," Kayode said himself last season. "Okay, it's good to have a long throw-in but that's not my whole game. People think that you can play in the Premier League just because you have a good throw-in? That's crazy!"

The statistics back him up.

Only three players - Manchester City's Jérémy Doku, Everton's Iliman Ndiaye and Brighton & Hove Albion's Yankuba Minteh - completed more successful dribbles than Kayode in the Premier League last season, highlighting his elite ball-carrying ability.

His growing understanding with Dango Ouattara has also become an increasingly potent weapon, giving the west Londoners genuine penetration down the right flank.

Kayode's long throw no doubt remains an invaluable asset - goals from throw-ins accounted for 15 per cent of Brentford's Premier League goals last season.

Yet the defender is far more than a set-piece specialist and his ambition to improve won praise from head coach Keith Andrews last season.

"His desire to be as good as he can be is up there with the best I've come across," said Andrews. "He's a joy to be around and the trajectory of his career will only go one way."

With a long-term contract secured, Kayode now has the platform to continue his remarkable rise.

If his trajectory continues, a senior Italy call-up may not be far away.