Tottenham Hotspur have now made contact over a deal for an “outstanding” defender, having emerged as the club showing the most interest in his signature.
Tottenham struggling defensively
Given Ange Postecoglou’s attacking style of play, it will always be difficult for Tottenham to keep a great number of clean sheets, and they have often looked poor defensively in the first half of the campaign.
Spurs’ 6-3 defeat at home to Liverpool in the Premier League displayed their frailties at the back, and their defensive struggles may soon be exacerbated further by a number of defenders being sidelined with injuries.
With the likes of Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie all currently on the treatment table, Postecoglou may be forced to enter the transfer market for a new defender this month.
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A number of targets have been identified by the Australian, with AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori now on the list, alongside the likes of Borussia Monchengladbach’s Ko Ikatura and Lens’ Abdukodir Khusanov, having opened talks for the latter two players.
Tottenham clearly have a number of options in mind, and there is another player on the shortlist, with journalist Alessandro Giovanni Pagliarini reporting they have made contact with Atalanta to ask for information about Ben Godfrey.
“Not only #Wolves and #NFFC, also #Tottenham asked for information for Ben #Godfrey. The defender did not convince Gasperini and will leave #Atalanta in the January market.”
The 26-year-old, who cost £10m in the summer, has not done enough to convince manager Gian Piero Gasperini and is set to leave the Serie A club this winter, potentially opening the door for a move to north London, although Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest are also keen.
Journalist Rudy Galetti has confirmed that Spurs have shown “the most interest” in Godfrey, as they look to reinforce their defence this winter.
Godfrey could reignite his career at Tottenham
Things may not have worked out exactly to plan for the centre-back in Italy, but he has put in some impressive performances over the past year, showcasing his defensive attributes.
The York-born defender ranks in the 99th percentile for clearances per 90, and the 97th percentile for aerials won, when compared to his positional peers, displaying his dominance in the air.
During his time with Norwich City, the defender was hailed by former manager Daniel Farke, who said: “You can speak about the best centre-backs in the world now but at 19 and 20 they will have made mistakes.
“The best ones learn. Ben is playing without mistakes and that is outstanding. He is a pretty emotional player and I like that a lot because it means you are capable of finding another gear.”
The Englishman has a great deal of Premier League experience, making 112 appearances in the competition, and he could be a solid signing for Tottenham as they look to fix their defensive issues between now and the end of the campaign.