According to Football Insider, a former Norwich City defender will be free to leave Premier League team Everton in January.

Football Insider reports that former Norwich City defender Ben Godfrey will be free to leave Premier League team Everton in January.

After the Canaries were relegated to the Championship in 2020, the 25-year-old signed a contract with the Toffees for an estimated £20 million. After making 31 first flight games in his rookie season, he instantly established himself as a fixture at Goodison Park.

His second season on Merseyside was marred by injury, and he has played less and less on the field ever since, playing just one minute in the Premier League this year. With Everton facing a 10-point deduction, manager Sean Dyche has chosen to start Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski together at center back this season. But they have emerged from the relegation zone and opened up a four-point lead over Luton Town, who are currently ranked eighteenth, after three straight victories.

Godfrey has not been used as a replacement in fifteen of Everton’s sixteen Premier League games, and it is rumored that he will likely leave the team in January. While teams like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are showing interest in Branthwaite, it doesn’t seem likely that he will be permitted to leave; nevertheless, this isn’t the case for his defensive partner.

Spurs are reportedly interested in the two-time England international as well in order to allay their concerns about injuries. In order to strengthen the finances and reduce their payroll costs, Dyche is prepared to approve his departure. They would allegedly be prepared to absorb a loss on their original £20 million investment.

Although a permanent transfer would be ideal, it’s possible that the North Londoners would prefer a loan while they wait for players like Eric Dier and Micky van de Ven to recover from their individual aches and pains—both of whom aren’t expected to be sidelined for the long haul.

Godfrey needs to make a change because his career has stagnated over the last 12 months. Though it would have been difficult to decline the chance to play for a team vying for a Champions League berth, it is possible that he would have been considering a return to the Championship.

If he is merely transferred on loan, this is his best opportunity to make a big impression so that he may play in the Premier League the following season. Although he is a gifted player who belongs in the elite league, this move must be completed by the end of the month to avoid him slipping from view.