Atalanta secures signing of Everton's Ben Godfrey

In a surprising move, Atalanta has secured the signing of Everton defender Ben Godfrey for an undisclosed fee. After Everton initially rejected Atalanta's £8.5m offer for the 26-year-old, the Italian club returned with a bid exceeding £10m, beating out competition from Lyon and AC Milan. Godfrey, who had one year remaining on his contract, arrived at Everton from Norwich for £25m in 2020 and had a failed transfer attempt to Atalanta in January. The defender, with 90 senior appearances for Everton and two England caps, is now set to undergo a medical in Italy. Godfrey's departure from Everton comes as the club finalizes terms for the sale of Marseille forward Iliman Ndiaye and awaits a new bid from Manchester United for Jarrad Branthwaite. Despite making a significant impact in his first season at Goodison Park, injuries and limited playing time under manager Sean Dyche have led to Godfrey's exit. Everton's decision to sell Godfrey aligns with their strategy to retain key players like Branthwaite while offering new contracts to experienced full-backs Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman. The impending transfer of Godfrey to Atalanta marks Everton's second major sale this summer, following Lewis Dobbin's move to Aston Villa for £9m. With Godfrey's contract expiring soon, Everton faced the risk of losing him for free if they did not sell him this transfer window. The defender's move to Atalanta presents him with the opportunity to feature in the Champions League next season, adding a new chapter to his career after a challenging period at Everton.