Brighton and Bournemouth ask about the Serie A leaders’ €17m Dutch midfielder, but Lazio won’t budge in January

Brighton and Bournemouth have both asked Lazio about Kenneth Taylor, but the Serie A leaders have no intention of selling their Dutch midfielder in January.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, the two Premier League clubs have already made enquiries about the former Ajax man. For now they are only soundings, and the Italian side are not budging mid-season.

That doesn’t close the door for good. The same report says it can’t be ruled out that the situation changes later on, with concrete attempts from England arriving in the summer.

Who is Kenneth Taylor and why do Brighton want him?

Kenneth Taylor joined Lazio from Ajax in January 2026 in a deal worth €17m including bonuses. He has kept proving his value over the last year, first under Maurizio Sarri and now under Gennaro Gattuso.

This season he has two goals and two assists in ten Serie A appearances, and Lazio are sitting alone at the top of the table. Gattuso’s side have been the surprise package in Italy, and that sort of run always brings scouts with it.

Brighton lost a big presence in the middle of the park when Carlos Baleba moved to Manchester United in the summer, and Fabian Hurzeler spoke at the time about how the Seagulls would try to replace him. Hurzeler’s recruitment team rarely shop in one place either: they are also tracking an 18-year-old Estoril defender alongside Lille and Barcelona.

Where do Bournemouth fit in?

Bournemouth are the other club to have asked the question. It makes sense if you look at what may be coming their way, with Chelsea eyeing Alex Scott for January. A club that sells well has to have the next name lined up, and a midfielder who has already settled in a new league is the kind of profile the Cherries like.

Neither club is anywhere near a bid, though. These are early checks on a player Lazio see as part of a title push, not a sale.

Why Lazio won’t sell in January

Put simply, they don’t need to. Lazio are top, Taylor is playing, and the club have made clear they have no plan to let him go, least of all halfway through a season like this one.

They are protecting other assets too. Isaksen scored against Cagliari on Sunday afternoon, his fourth goal in ten league rounds, and Lazio have opened talks to extend the Dane’s contract, which runs to June 2028, until at least 2030 with a pay rise. He joined from Midtjylland in 2023 for around €15m and earns roughly €1.5m a year, a figure Lazio know no longer matches his value.

Lazio have even been linked with a Liverpool attacker themselves. This time they seem determined to be the side doing the keeping, not the selling.

Will Kenneth Taylor end up in the Premier League?

I’d be surprised if this is the last we hear of it. A €17m midfielder with goals in him, playing for the Serie A leaders, will only get more attention if Lazio keep winning, and the Premier League is where that attention usually turns into money.

The summer is the realistic window. Brighton and Bournemouth have got their names in early, and that matters with a club who will want to be asked properly before they even think about selling. If Lazio’s season holds, the price will not be €17m any more.