Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town look poised to sign former Everton centre back, Ben Godfrey, as they look to bolster for their Premier League relegation scrap.
It could be a busy January transfer window for Ipswich, but it’s been reported that they’ll make an addition to their backline first, by signing the current Atalanta defender on loan. It’s said that Godfrey is ready for the move.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Serie A player has ‘has already given his initial green light’ on the move that will take him from top of the Italian first division, to battle at the bottom of England’s. Romano reports that negotiations were underway between the two clubs and that Godfrey is open for the loan move.
Is this a positive move for Ipswich Town?
The Tractor Boys currently sit 18th in the Premier League, only one point behind Wolverhampton Wanderers. They tasted their first home league victory of the season in their last game, by beating Chelsea 2-0 at Portman Road. But they remain in the relegation scrap and need reinforcements to help propel up the league.
A lack of depth in the striker position might see McKenna’s side look for additions in that position, but increasing the quality of their defence is important too. There is plenty of depth in the central defender position, however, with Dara O’Shea, Jacob Greaves, Cameron Burgess, Luke Woolfenden and Axel Tuanzebe all suitable for the role.
What Ben Godfrey does possess that his potential future teammates don’t, though, is multiple years of Premier League experience. Godfrey has made 112 appearances in the English top flight.
Interestingly, in McKenna’s system the Ipswich right back position can be often occupied by a typical central defender – Dara O’Shea started there in their recent victory over Chelsea. The only ‘out-and-out’ right backs at the club are Ben Johnson and Harry Clarke, both of whom have been classed as central defenders in the past, with Johnson playing 15 times there for West Ham United and Clarke 68 times during his younger days at Arsenal, Oldham Athletic and Ross County, (according to Transfermarkt)
Ben Godfrey is a player who has made 110 of the 268 appearances registered on Transfermarkt not at centre back, with 25 of those coming at right back and another 25 at left back.
Based on his previous campaigns, Godfrey might be able to add improved quality into this centre-back-turned-right-back position.
Does the transfer make sense for Ben Godfrey?
Once an England prospect, it could be said that Godfrey’s promising career has somewhat tailed off. A promising two year stint at East Anglian rivals, Norwich City, earned him a move to Everton, where he put in 36 appearances during the 2020/21 campaign.
Last season saw Godfrey’s minutes decline sharply. The defender was stuck on the bench for 19 of the first 21 games in the Premier League, starting once and making a one minute cameo in another game.
Towards the end of the season he became a first team regular for the Toffees, occupying the right back position, starting 12 of the final 16 games in the league.
The 2024/25 campaign started with Godfrey leaving Merseyside and follow in the footsteps of Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and others, by becoming an Englishman playing in Serie A.
Despite playing in Matchday One for Atalanta, minutes have been few and far between ever-since. He’s failed to make a league appearance since that 4-0 victory over Leece on the 19th August, however, he has made two UEFA Champions League appearances. He came on as a late substitute in victories against Shakhtar Donetsk and BSC Young Boys.
With game time limited to a collective 93 minutes this season, according to Transfermarkt, then it might be assumed that Godfrey is looking for a loan move to get back to regular minutes.
A loan move to Ipswich Town for the rest of the 2024/25 season would, in theory, provide him with a much better opportunity of increased minutes, and for an exciting, if not slightly leaky, Premier League side.