Ben Godfrey Set to Join Champions League Side Atalanta from Everton

Everton Agree to Sell Ben Godfrey

In a significant move, Everton have reached an agreement to sell Ben Godfrey to the Italian club Atalanta, as reported by talkSPORT. The defender, with one year remaining on his Goodison Park contract, will join the Serie A team for a fee of approximately £10 million.

 

Financial Pressures at Everton

Everton are under financial pressure to offload players by June 30 to comply with Profit and Sustainability regulations. The Merseyside club acknowledges that they will incur a financial loss on Godfrey, having acquired him from Norwich in a deal that could rise to £25 million back in 2020.

BEN GODFREY HAS ARRIVED IN MILAN AHEAD OF HIS £10M MOVE TO ATALANTA FROM EVERTON 🚨🇮🇹 PIC.TWITTER.COM/W7YL1JCWCU

— SKY SPORTS NEWS (@SKYSPORTSNEWS) JUNE 28, 2024

 

 

Interest from Italian Clubs

Earlier this month, talkSPORT highlighted the 26-year-old’s appeal to Italian clubs, with both Atalanta and AC Milan showing interest. Despite AC Milan’s keenness to bring the two-cap England international to the San Siro, Atalanta emerged victorious in securing his services. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini, a known admirer of Godfrey, had the defender on his radar during the January transfer window, but a deal couldn’t be finalised at that time.

Godfrey’s Champions League Opportunity

Joining Atalanta presents a thrilling opportunity for Godfrey as the club is set to participate in the Champions League next season. The former Norwich City man is expected to thrive in this new environment, following in the footsteps of several former Premier League players who have succeeded at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia.

Atalanta’s Premier League Connections

Notable players at Atalanta include Ademola Lookman, a pivotal figure in their Europa League final triumph over Bayer Leverkusen, who previously played for Everton, Fulham, and Leicester. Other ex-Premier League stars at the club are Sead Kolasinac, formerly of Arsenal; Davide Zappacosta and Mario Pasalic, both ex-Chelsea; Gianluca Scamacca, who played for West Ham; and Marten de Roon, a former Middlesbrough player.

Since joining Everton in 2020, Godfrey has made 93 appearances across all competitions. His stellar debut season earned him the title of Everton’s Young Player of the Season and a spot in Gareth Southgate’s provisional Euro 2020 squad. Although he played in warm-up matches against Austria and Romania, he did not make the final team.