While it may have been one of the more surprising moves this summer, Ben Godfrey swapping Everton for Atalanta might just have been a very smart choice for the defender.
That’s at least if the current comments coming out of Italy are anything to go by, with Tutto Atalanta and Gazzetta dello Sport both featuring the defender and praise today.
Godfrey completed his move to the Europa League winners from Everton at the end of June, joining them in a £10m deal and bringing an end to a four-year stay at Goodison Park.
He had joined Everton in a €27.5m deal back October 2020 and showed early positive signs under Carlo Ancelotti but several injuries and a battle with Long Covid ultimately left him on the fringes for the blues and keen to move on this summer.
Few would have predicted Atalanta making their move, but they did, and quickly wrapped up a deal for him as they sought out a versatile option to bolster Gian Piero Gasperini’s squad.
And it’s been a positive start for him too, with Tutto Atalanta reporting that the Englishman has ‘already shown’ that he has the right qualities to integrate into the system at his new club and prove to be a successful signing.
While he still needs time to complete his ‘acclimatisation’ there is a confidence the former Everton man can do well moving forwards.
That’s echoed in comments from teammate Maarten de Roon too, who has been impressed by what he’s seen to date.
“Speed and physical strength: I have never seen someone go so fast in the first preparation with Gasperini,” he said.
“Now he has to grow tactically: Italian football is different from that of the Premier League.”
