Everton football club has just completed the signing of Norwich City’s 22-year-old center-back Ben Godfrey. The Toffees paid Norwich City an initial £25 million for the services of the English defender and the transfer fee could rise to £30 million if the youngster fulfills some agreed expectations.
Norwich City signed the youngster from York City in 2016 for £150,000. Since then, he has grown to become one of the most reliable defenders at the club. He played a total of 78 games for the Championship side; he scored a total of 5 goals and provided 2 assists in all competitions.
Before he followed Norwich City to relegation at the end of the 2019-2020 season, Godfrey played for the club 33 times in all competitions. This season, the center-defender has played three Championship matches for Norwich City before he signed for Everton.
The deal Ben Godfrey penned with Everton would see him remain at the Merseyside club for five years. The £25 million Everton paid for his services is the highest amount Norwich City has ever received for a player. It broke the transfer record of James Maddison which earned the club £20m – plus £4m in add-ons when he left the club for Leicester City in 2018.
But in the case of Ben Godfrey, the former club of the defender, York City, will be paid £2.5 million being the amount fixed as his sell-on clause when he joined Norwich City in 2016.
“It is an honor to sign for Everton and to be part of a huge club,” Ben Godfrey said. “This is a club full of history that has an exciting team full of world-class players who will help me kick on to the next level. I am looking forward to working with them and, hopefully, having great times with Everton.
“The manager’s past speaks for itself. He has worked with some top-class center-backs. I will be able to learn so much from him and he is going to help me get to that next level, which is where I want to be.”
💪 | Here to win. Here to succeed.#WelcomeGodfrey
— Everton (@Everton) October 5, 2020
The new Everton star will join the England Under-21 squad this week for Euro 2021 qualifiers against Andorra and Turkey. He will unite with his new team after the FIFA international break.
Ben Godfrey is Everton’s fifth major signing during this summer transfer window. He is expected to join other new Everton’s signings – midfielders Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure, attacking midfielder James Rodriguez and left-back Niels Nkounkou to continue with the Carlo Ancelotti’s revolution at Goodison Park.
Currently, Everton is topping the Premier League table after winning four out of four Premier League games. They have scored 12 goals in 4 league games and have only conceded 5 goals. The addition of Ben Godfrey will give the team more solidity at the back which could help Everton to do the unthinkable this season.
