Michael Kayode had a debut to remember for Italy as their feel-good factor returned in a 4-1 win over Turkiye in the UEFA Nations League.

The Brentford man made his long overdue bow for the Azzurri in their second game under Roberto Mancini, having been an unused substitute in their defeat to Belgium.

Kayode was heavily involved as he proved that he can be trusted by Mancini going forward, and his performance would have impressed teams in the Premier League.

The 22-year-old surprisingly generated very little by the way of public interest this summer, even as several top sides sought to bring in players in his position.

Chelsea signed his compatriot Marco Palestra, while the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, and Manchester City did not make any signings at right-back.

He has now shown his quality on the international stage, doing what he does on a weekly basis in a Brentford shirt.

Michael Kayode Nets As Italy Overcome Turkiye

Smarting after a 2-0 defeat to Belgium on home soil, Mancini made eight changes to the XI for the game against Turkiye in Bursa.

He brought in a brand-new back four, handing former Fiorentina man Kayode his debut for his country. Only Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sandro Tonali, and Francesco Pio Esposito from the XI that faced Belgium retained their starting spots.

Mancini's rotation turned out to be a masterstroke, as two of the back four, Alessandro Bastoni and Kayode, scored in the first half.

Davide Frattesi also found the net in between both goals, ensuring that Italy were 3-0 up at the break.

Turkiye pulled one back through Baris Alper Yilmaz at the start of the second half, only for Francesco Pio Esposito to net his side's fourth goal.

Kayode played the whole 90 minutes, completing 39/42 passes (93% accuracy) and creating a chance.

He delivered both of his crosses accurately, and made a tackle and four clearances. He won four ground duels, as well, in the game.

Premier League-Proven Kayode Ready For Big Move

Brentford signed Michael Kayode in January 2025, having found him after just a season and a half of playing for Fiorentina.

He featured 12 times in the Premier League for the Bees in the second half of the 2024-25 season, before becoming an undisputed starter.

In the 2025-26 season, his first full campaign with the Bees, he played in all but one of their Premier League games.

This season, he has already appeared in all five of their league games, helping Brentford to claim a 3-0 win over Chelsea just before the international break.

Michael Kayode has been one of the most dominant right-backs in the division since joining the Bees, with his pace and power making him a tough opponent for opposing wingers.

Opposition left-backs are not left out, as well, as Kayode's attacking strength is one of his key attributes, and he likes to take on opponents.

For Liverpool, the emergence of loanee Ronald Araujo as an option at right-back was unplanned, but has papered over the cracks so far this term.

The signing of a specialist right-back would improve the fluidity of the Reds, allowing them to be more direct and deadly in transitions.

Similarly, Manchester United fans are unsatisfied with performances put up by Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui at right-back, and there has been speculation that they could look to bring in a replacement for either of them.

Kayode will be a fine fit for either team and will be closely monitored ahead of future transfer windows, but he will likely move to a big club in England, remaining in the league where he has become a key performer at 22.