Kenneth Taylor’s Instant Impact Has Made Him A Nailed On Starter In Lazio’s Midfield

Since his debut away to Hellas Verona FC on January 11, 2026, Kenneth Taylor has barely had time to breathe, let alone settle. Signed from AFC Ajax and thrown straight into the rotation after only a handful of training sessions, the 23 year old has started seven matches in a row and quickly turned into a fixed point in Maurizio Sarri’s midfield.

What stands out is not just the number of starts, but how little Sarri has had to manage his minutes. Taylor has missed only 25 minutes in total since arriving in Rome, with his substitutions coming late and purely for energy management. He was taken off towards the end against Como, Genoa, and Atalanta, and never because his performance levels dropped. His first headline moment arrived in the 3 to 2 win over Genoa CFC, when he scored his first Serie A goal, another sign of how quickly he has adapted to the pace and physicality of Italian football.

Behind the scenes, Sarri’s only real regret is about timing rather than quality. As Corriere dello Sport reported, the coach would have liked the chance to see Taylor alongside Matteo Guendouzi, who was sold just as the Dutchman arrived. In theory, it could have been a natural partnership, with complementary running power and balance. Instead, Taylor has taken responsibility on the left side of the midfield on his own, and he has done it with a calmness that has impressed the staff and the supporters.

That composure was clearest in Lazio’s Coppa Italia quarterfinal away to Bologna, where Taylor stepped up and converted the decisive penalty to send Lazio through to the semi finals. In a high pressure moment inside a noisy stadium, he looked like a player who has been there for years rather than weeks.

The numbers explain why Sarri has been reluctant to rotate him. Despite constant changes around him, with different combinations involving Cataldi, Rovella, and Dele Bashiru, Taylor has stayed as the one constant. Over the last seven matches he has completed 537 of 626 passes, added 12 successful dribbles, and won 52 of 106 duels. He is not only keeping possession cleanly, he is also carrying the ball, resisting pressure, and giving Lazio a reliable outlet when the game becomes chaotic.

Il Messaggero went even further by placing Taylor’s output into a broader European context. The paper highlighted that from 2021 to today, the Dutchman has produced 26 goals and 21 assists, pushing him into a very exclusive group of midfielders born since 2002 who have already cleared the double double threshold of at least 20 goals and 20 assists. The comparison list is eye catching, featuring Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid CF, Florian Wirtz of Liverpool FC, Xavi Simons of Tottenham Hotspur FC, and Jamal Musiala of FC Bayern Munich.

Taylor’s rise did not happen overnight. He debuted for Ajax in December 2020 when Erik ten Hag handed him his first opportunity in the Eredivisie, and from there he steadily built his experience across league and European nights. He earned a Netherlands call up under Louis van Gaal, and he also left Amsterdam with a serious record of end product, with Ajax noting he departed for Rome after contributing 36 goals and 27 assists across his time with the club.

For Lazio, the bottom line is simple. Even without the Guendouzi partnership Sarri wanted, Taylor has given the midfield an immediate upgrade in stability, tempo, and personality. In less than a month, he has gone from new signing to automatic starter, and the most telling detail is that nobody inside Formello seems surprised anymore when his name is the first one on the team sheet.