Ben Godfrey, a defender for Everton, is reportedly considering a move to AC Milan, so Leeds United will not be getting his loan.
Godfrey has drawn interest from the Peacocks, who want to bolster their full-back options before the transfer window ends. The Whites are having trouble because of Luke Ayling’s loan move to Middlesbrough and Sam Byram’s injury concerns. Byram is an Everton defender who can play full back or center back.
The player is admired by Italian club AC Milan, who are presently leading the battle to sign him. Because of their problems with Financial Fair Play, the Toffees would prefer a full sale, and the player is eager to join the European powerhouses.
The report suggests that a loan agreement is doubtful, which puts Daniel Farke’s team in a difficult position in trying to keep the signing. There are other players Leeds United might turn their attention to, such as Connor Roberts of Burnley and Ben Johnson of West Ham United.
This season, Godfrey has made just two appearances for his team in the Premier League; Sean Dyche seems to prefer players like Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitaliy Mykolenko. This season, he has appeared on the bench 19 times and has only played one minute when starting against Sheffield United. His lone start occurred recently in a 2-0 victory over Burnley.
Even if the English defender was coached by Farke when he was at Norwich City, this is not going to be enough to turn the deal around.
It appears that the former defender for Shrewsbury Town will likely go the same route as Chris Smalling and Fikayo Tomori, who both moved to Serie A and were instrumental in their teams’ on-field achievements.
Author’s Perspective
Godfrey was formerly thought to be among the top up-and-coming defenders, but he hasn’t been able to replicate that level of performance since 2021. Being a versatile player, he may fit in with the demands of the Italian game, and he might think that spending some time in Italy will benefit his career.
Leeds United needs to realize quickly that they have additional targets who may benefit them similarly to the former Norwich player, or else they run the risk of signing no players at all.
