Leeds United are set to miss out on a loan deal for Everton defender Ben Godfrey, as he is leaning towards a move to AC Milan, according to TeamTalk.
The Peacocks recently registered an interest in signing Godfrey as they look to add more depth to the full-back positions before the window closes. Luke Ayling’s departure on loan to Middlesbrough and Sam Byram’s injury issues have caused the Whites problems, and the Everton defender can play at both centre-back and full-back.
Italian club AC Milan admire the player and they currently lead the race to sign him. The Toffees would prefer a full sale due to their Financial Fair Play issues and the player himself is keen to move to the European giants.
A loan deal is unlikely according to the report, leaving Daniel Farke’s side in a tough spot when it comes to trying to salvage the signing. Leeds United do have other targets they could switch their focus to, including West Ham United’s Ben Johnson and Burnley defender Connor Roberts.
Godfrey has made just two appearances in the Premier League for his side this season, with Sean Dyche preferring the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitaliy Mykolenko. He has been on the bench 19 times this season, coming on just once against Sheffield United for merely one minute. His only start came recently against Burnley in a 2-0 win.
The English defender has previously played under Farke during his time at Norwich City, but that is unlikely to be enough to sway the deal in another direction.
The former Shrewsbury Town defender is looking likely to follow in the footsteps of Chris Smalling and Fikayo Tomori, who both switched to the Serie A and became large parts of their team’s success on the pitch. He is a former England international, with two caps against Austria and Romania in the same week back in 2021.
Writer’s View
Godfrey was once rated as one of the best upcoming defenders but has failed to get back to that type of form since 2021. He’s a versatile player who could suit the demands of the Italian game, and he may feel that time away in Italy is something that his career needs.
Leeds United have other targets that could help them in a similar way to the former Norwich man and they need to recognise that soon or risk signing nobody at all.
