Sheffield United has reportedly made an offer to capture Atalanta defender Ben Godfrey on loan.
The Blades are putting a strong focus on conducting clever business in the transfer market this summer, as they deal with the necessity to be fiscally prudent in how and where they spend their money.
Despite this, Ruben Selles has been able to strengthen his new squad, with Djibril Soumare, Mihail Polendakov, and Louie Barry all arriving at Bramall Lane this summer.
The goal for United in 25/26 remains clear: earn promotion to the Premier League, and their latest recruitment target could help them do just that.
Sheffield United makes a deal for Atalanta defender Ben Godfrey
On Wednesday evening, Football Insider revealed that Sheffield United have signed Atalanta defender Ben Godfrey on loan.
According to the report, the Blades are currently awaiting a response from the Serie A team on their offer.
Godfrey just joined Atalanta last summer, having left Everton for a whopping £10 million. However, things have not gone as planned for the Englishman in Italy.
| Godfrey’s 24/25 Atalanta & Ipswich stats (all comps) – per FotMob | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Atalanta | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Ipswich Town (loan) | 5 | 0 | |
After making only five appearances for the Bergamo-based club during the first part of the 24/25 season, two of which came in the Champions League, he was loaned out to then-Premier League Ipswich Town for the second half of the season.
However, the former Everton and Norwich City centre-back’s fortunes would not improve, as he would make only five appearances for the Tractor Boys, three of which were in the top division.
As a result, he appears to be on the margins of the Serie A side’s squad for the 25/26 season, but having signed a contract with the club until the summer of 2028, Atalanta may not want to give up on him just yet.
According to Capology, Godfrey earns a weekly salary of £77.5k at the Gewiss Stadium. Godfrey could act as solid.
Anel Ahmedhodzic’s stopgap
So, assuming those figures are true, if Sheffield United sign Godfrey this summer, they will very certainly not contribute to his entire salary at Atalanta.
If the club can arrange an agreement in which they contribute roughly half of his stated £77.5k per week (£38.75k), or even significantly less, this could be a wise gamble for the Blades.
It’s no secret that Selles has to bolster his defensive options before the September 1 deadline, especially after star centre-back Anel Ahmedhodzic was sold to Feyenoord this week.
Adding a guy like Godfrey, who has Champions League, Serie A, Premier League, and Championship experience from his stint with Norwich, could be a good move.
Naturally, Blades fans will be concerned about his recent lack of game time and how his last two moves with Atalanta and Ipswich have gone, but he was a regular starter in Everton’s Premier League team just a few seasons ago.
As such, he may be an excellent player to bring in as a stopgap for Ahmedhodzic, allowing Sheffield United to take their time in finding a suitable long-term replacement for their former hero.
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