Football
Exclusive: Ipswich Eye Permanent Deal for Ben Godfrey Amid Interest from Wolves and Forest
Ipswich Town is fighting with Wolves and Nottingham Forest for defender Ben Godfrey. The 27-year-old has struggled in the Premier League but is keen for a permanent move back to England. Ipswich aims to offer him regular football in the Championship as they aspire for Premier League promotion.
England U21 Training Session by Dan Mullan - The FA | Getty Images
Relegated Ipswich Town want to sign defender Ben Godfrey on a permanent deal, SportsBoom can reveal.
But Wolves and Nottingham Forest are also understood to be keen to secure his prized signature, as he looks to reignite his stagnated career.
Experienced centre-back Godfrey made just three Premier League appearances this season with the troubled Tractor Boys relegated from the top-flight.
Atalanta loanee Godfrey was hauled off after 64 minutes of the club’s 6-0 demolition at the hands of Manchester City in January and was then substituted at half-time in a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur at home the following month.
The 27-year-old was also used as a second-half substitute in a 3-0 away loss to Newcastle United, in what has a real baptism of fire in the Premier League for the Yorkshire-born defender.
But former England international Godfrey is keen for a permanent move back to England having struggled to adapt to life in Italy.
And even though the two-cap international found life tough at Portman Road this season, with his playing time limited, SportsBoom understands he would welcome the chance to play regular football in the Championship.
PREMIER LEAGUE ASPIRATIONS...AGAIN!
Ipswich have aspirations to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking and the Tractor Boys are looking at giving him that chance.
Versatile Godfrey can also play in midfield and as a full-back and has plenty of Premier League pedigree having played for Everton for four seasons in the top-flight.
He joined the Toffees on a five-year contract in October 2020, rumoured to be in the region of £20million, having celebrated a memorable promotion with former club Norwich City.
Godfrey was called up to then England manager Gareth Southgate’s provisional 33-man squad for the delayed Euro 2022 Championships in May 2021, but just missed out on making the final 26-man squad.
But he made his international senior debut in a friendly fixture against Austria before the tournament.
However, having won Everton’s Young Player of the Year award and previously captain England Under-21s, Godfrey surprisingly left Goodison Park and signed for Serie A club Atalanta in June last year, with a rumoured £11million sell-on clause in his contract.
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.