Michael Kayode has closed the door on a Super Eagles future, declaring that Italy will always be his first choice and that he has no doubt about which international path he intends to follow, Footynaija.com reports.
This comes at a time when Nigerian football had genuine reason for optimism about the 21-year-old. Kayode has just completed one of the most impressive breakthrough seasons by a young defender in the Premier League, making 35 appearances for Brentford, earning a nomination for the division’s Young Player of the Season award.
His long throws have become a tactical weapon for Brentford. Nigeria-born of Yoruba descent, Kayode was born in Borgomanero in northern Italy and came through Juventus’ academy before moving to Fiorentina and eventually earning a permanent move to Brentford in the summer of 2025.
He holds both Italian and Nigerian citizenship, a fact that has kept Super Eagles supporters hopeful, particularly as Eric Chelle looks to build a squad for the 2027 AFCON qualifying cycle and beyond. But Kayode’s words leave very little room for interpretation.
‘I have no doubt about which path to choose’
“I will always give priority to Italy. Even at youth level, I grew up wearing the Azzurri shirt,” he said, as confirmed by Tribuna.com.
“I hope to achieve this dream as soon as possible, but I have no doubt about which path to choose.”
Kayode has already made ten appearances for Italy’s under-21 side since debuting in 2023, and scored the winning goal in the 2023 UEFA European Under-19 Championship final against Portugal. He revealed he had direct contact with former Italy senior coach Gennaro Gattuso before the World Cup play-offs earlier this year, though he was not included in the squad.
“Yes, we also had dinner with other Premier League Italian players,” Kayode said. “I was doing well. I felt involved even without being called up for the play-offs.”
Current Italy under-21 coach Silvio Baldini is expected to oversee upcoming senior friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece, with Kayode reportedly in contention for a first senior call-up. The right-back is aware of the significance.
“The Azzurri shirt would be an enormous achievement,” he said.
Kayode looks set to join a growing list of dual-eligible players who have chosen European nations over the Super Eagles, a pattern that continues to fuel debate about how Nigeria positions itself to attract the next generation of diaspora talent.
