Leeds United submit official bid to sign Ben Godfrey as green light given to Everton manager Sean Dyche

Following the breakdown of their January deal with Atalanta, Leeds United have reportedly launched an official loan approach for Everton defender Ben Godfrey, according to The Sun.

The tabloid said on its website on January 28 that the 26-year-old’s £10 million transfer to Serie A had fallen through because Italy had eliminated its preferential tax break regulations.

It is believed that the Toffees and Sean Dyche have approved Godfrey’s departure from Goodison Park this month in an effort to spare the team from more Premier League sanctions related to FFP regulations.

A good option

Godfrey’s transfer to Leeds appears to be finalised, providing Daniel Farke with another defensive option to go with Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk, and Liam Cooper.

Charlie Cresswell, the current Elland Road defender, was only included in the matchday squad against Plymouth twice since November, so this could be his last game there.

Godfrey is naturally upset about his lack of playing time under Dyche, but given Ethan Ampadu’s recent performances in the position, it seems unlikely that the centre back would receive any more at Elland Road.

Farke decided to utilise the Welshman in defence and give up his midfield presence rather than use Cresswell because the team has only had one center-back available in previous weeks. Even though there are undoubtedly other reasons why Cresswell isn’t playing, Farke’s insistence on using the same guys in this starting lineup still stands.

Godfrey will be a valuable addition to the Leeds team, though, especially with an incredibly busy schedule ahead of them. Despite his lack of match sharpness, he still possesses talent, as demonstrated by his December Premier League cameo against Burnley.

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But now it seems that wasn’t the case, as journalist Hay from The Athletic suggests that the 24-year-old will actually be joining Luton Town in the Premier League, not Daniel Farke’s squad at Elland Road.

He wrote on X on Sunday, January 28, stating, “He’s going to Luton.”

Worrying miss

Leeds United has to bring in a new full-back during the January transfer window because their outgoing business this month has left Farke severely lacking in defensive cover.

Allowing Luke Ayling and Djed Spence to go within a few days of each other appeared brave at first, but if the Whites don’t bring in a replacement right-back, that could prove to be a very foolish move come campaign’s halfway point.

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Archie Grey has demonstrated his ability to fill that position, and Sam Byram and Jamie Shackleton are also more than capable defenders on the right. However, each of them has flaws of their own and cannot be counted on throughout the season.

Hopefully, Farke and his hiring staff will have another target they can swiftly turn to, as it appears they missed out on Hashioki. If not, this might be a serious setback for chances of an automatic promotion.