AS Roma eyeing up Everton player to please Mourinho in January – ‘Paid loan’ with more talks in June

AS Roma are eyeing up a move for Everton defender Ben Godfrey as they look to bolster Jose Mourinho’s squad in the January transfer window.

That’s according to Corriere dello Sport, who say the defender’s recent excellent performance in the win over Burnley has put him on the radar for the Italian side.

That was Godfrey’s first appearance of the season having barely featured under Sean Dyche this season thanks to the strong partnership of James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite in the centre of the Blues defence.

That’s left Godfrey sitting on the bench and Roma believe he could be an option to look at as they look to give Mourinho the defender he wants.

Corriere say that Roma area ‘assessing the profile’ of the Everton man as part of a long list of bargains that director of football Tiago Pinto has drawn up with his team.

He’s under certain financial constraints and the hope is that he can secure a ‘paid loan’ with Everton and, depending on the player’s performances in Italy, perhaps talk to the Toffees again at the end of the season.

Whether that’s a deal Everton would do given their own financial situation and a need to make money is up for debate. Similarly, they may be reluctant to let Godfrey go and further deplete a squad which is already short.

Roma are interested nonetheless, and Godfrey may be a name to keep an eye on in the coming weeks as Tiago Pinto steps up his plans.