Everton defender Ben Godfrey tipped to thrive at AC Milan if Goodison Park exit signed off
Hugh Woozencroft has backed Ben Godfrey to succeed if he is to depart Everton to join AC Milan or Atalanta in the summer transfer window.
The Englishman has been linked with a move away from Goodison Park this summer with a move to Serie A being discussed [talkSPORT, 4 June].
This comes after a season where Sean Dyche brought Godfrey in and out of his Toffees side which could see him look to move on.
While speaking on talkSPORT (4 June), Woozencroft suggested that the defender would thrive off a move to the continent this summer.
He said: “I think Italy would suit him – he just needs the right coach. Temperament is the issue in his game. He’s got the physical attributes if he’s well-coached.
“His pace is one of the big attributes he has, but when you throw the rashness in with it – yellow cards, fouls, putting your team under pressure – he’s been a little bit off it for Everton. But as we’ve seen from other players in Italy, maybe that would help his game.”
Ben Godfrey could depart Everton for AC Milan
There is no doubt that Godfrey has qualities that make him a useful member of the Toffees’ squad but he has never quite found his role.
Under various managers, he has operated across every position in the back line which has somewhat hampered his development.
This has only been made worse by the rise of Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski as the first-choice centre-back pairing this past season.
This limited him to just 13 Premier League starts, which just isn’t enough for a player in what should be the prime of their career.
Plenty of English defenders have gone and found some top form in Italy, with Chris Smalling and Fikayo Tomori being the best examples.
Godfrey could prove to be a surprise avenue for the Toffees to bring in some money this summer to help ease FFP and PSR concerns.
He is a useful squad player for sure and may be integral if Branthwaite is to leave this summer but that situation remains unclear for now.
In other Everton news, Amadou Onana and a Barcelona star are on Bayern Munich’s updated transfer shortlist.
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