According to reports from Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur are keen to secure the services of Norwich City’s Ben Godfrey with the England Under 21 captain believed to be attainable for a fee in the region of £25m.
Should the move materialise not only would it likely be the first transfer concluded under Jose Mourinho but for the player it would represent a further stepping stone taken in a remarkable journey, the 21-year-old defender rising to prominence at lowly York City before heading to East Anglia in 2016.
Initially signed as a midfielder, the 21-year-old's re-imagining as a centre-back saw him established as an integral figure in the Canaries promotion push to the Premier League, while this season his composure, impressive passing stats and astute reading of danger have stood out.
Such is his high regard, last summer the youngster found himself linked to Manchester United as well. With this in mind maybe it’s time we delved a little deeper and discover what the experts have to say.
And who better to seek the opinions of than three of Godfrey’s former bosses…
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Russ Wilcox, former York City manager
With his father an ex-rugby league professional it’s hardly a surprise that Godfrey’s physicality led to him easily handling the blood and thunder of the lower leagues even when thrown in as a callow kid not long out of high school. For Wilcox though it was the player’s mental strength that most impressed. As per yorkpress.co.uk:
“He’s still got lots to learn but he’s strong mentally and that’s important. You get a lot of good, young footballers but it’s often mastering the mental side that makes the difference like how you react when you receive a rocket from senior players. Ben can handle that and he has good leadership qualities. He has done from the first day he came to work with us.”
Paul Hurst, former Shrewsbury Town manager
A series of notable performances for the Minstermen brought inevitable interest from higher up the pyramid and in 2016 Norwich came calling, almost immediately loaning out their new signing to Shrewsbury for a season’s extra tutelage. As becomes clear from their manager’s comments below upon signing Godfrey, they were delighted at the prospect. As per shrewsburytown.com:
“He’s a young hungry player who wants to come out and play and get out of any sort of comfort zone that some players can fall into, so I think he’s got the right attitude for it.”
“He’s very competitive, athletic, he’s a good size and I think he’s a winner. He broke into York City’s team at a very young age, but physically it was never an issue to him. He likes a tackle as well.”
Alex Neal, former Norwich City manager
It was Daniel Farke’s predecessor Neal who granted Godfrey his first team debut in green and yellow and it wasn’t long before the local press began enquiring about the fast-developing talent. Here, Neal obliges. As per Eastern Daily Press:
“His competitive streak is really, really good, he is strong, aggressive and he can use the ball well so he has a lot to work with. He is 18, the same age as Todd Cantwell and guys like that, but physically he is a man. He has good scope to improve.”
Verdict
With Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld both yet to sign new deals it’s entirely logical that Spurs are looking around for Premier League-proven centre-backs yet to hit their ceiling. Godfrey is a prime candidate in every regard.