After Everton agreed to pay £10 million to sell Ben Godfrey to Atalanta, Godfrey left for Italy for a medical examination. In an unexpected move, the defender—who also piqued Lyon's interest—is expected to join the Europa League champions. Godfrey had just a year remaining on his Goodison Park contract, and if Everton did not sell him this summer, they stood the possibility of losing him on a free transfer.
Although the 26-year-old has made 93 appearances for Everton, he only started 10 games in 2022–2023 and 13 games in the Premier League last season. After moving from Norwich for £20 million in 2020, Godfrey had a fantastic debut season at Goodison Park and went on to gain two appearances for England. However, since then, Covid and injuries have cut short his Everton career, and he hasn't played often under current manager Sean Dyche.