So the big story that we do now know for sure is that Ben Godfrey will be joining Rangers. This is one that Ibrox Noise noted significantly 2 or 3 seasons ago during Nathan Patterson’s failures to get in the team at Everton. Rangers fans were very keen on Patterson’s progress and, of course, were very disappointed to lose the boy. But we were all very interested to see just how he would do down south under then manager Rafael Benitez. However, Patterson really struggled to get game time, and he was struggling in the face of 2 men. Ireland’s Seamus Coleman and, as mentioned, Godfrey. Godfrey was generally preferred to Patterson, even although, primarily, he’s a centre back.
Why Godfrey appeals
That is the big deal. Rangers desperately need centre backs, and this is a decent former Premier League level player. If this guy was good enough to keep Nathan Patterson out, a £16M Scottish international, then he was certainly good enough for the Premier League. There are, however, caveats. We do support this signing, and we do think it’s a smart idea. But his career has very much gone the way of Max Aarons. Max Aarons, of course, was at Arsenal. He was a strong PL Norwich player. But his career went south a little bit when he went to Bournemouth and found himself on the outside looking in, being loaned out to Valencia. Of course, his Rangers spell went poorly too.
£25M Ben Godfrey to Rangers
Once worth around £25M, Godfrey is today around £3M but could be a calculated gamble. But the loan gives Rangers security ala Andreas Skov Olsen.
A calculated gamble
Godfrey’s in the same boat. His time at Everton came to an end, and he was sold to Atalanta for £11M. But his career there has not taken off, and he’s been loaned out 3 times, including to a Championship side in England. He has not looked the same player and just hasn’t got on the way that he did at Everton. This signing would technically be a bit of a gamble. We like it in theory, we really do. We do know this player, and we know what he’s capable of. At least, what he was capable of. Consequently, it is a little bit of a gamble, but it is, of course, only a loan. This is the big deal. We don’t know if it’s a loan with an option or just a loan. But clearly, it has not worked out for him in Serie A in Italy.
Reasons for optimism
It does seem that British players have very mixed bags when it comes to Italy. Scottish players seem to do very, very well in Italy. English players are hit and miss. Godfrey is another one who just did not quite cut it at that level. But he did shine in the Premier League for Everton. So it is generally a mixed bag for him in his career, certainly in the last 2 or 3 years. Overall, we are fairly content with this one. We will be behind this lad and hope that he starts to show his old form. The stories of him being an injury case are not true. He just lost form. He just did not quite sparkle the way he did.
Maybe there were 1 or 2 injuries at some point that changed that. But he has not been injured significantly in quite a while. Godfrey is a good player. He’s even played for England. He is an England cap. But he’s not one who is shining in current times, and that’s probably why Rangers are able to get him. He’s not a Rangers man. He’s not Scottish. He does have a little bit of baggage, some might say. But we hope that this is another one where the manager’s call on it is correct. It is an interesting one. We will be very intrigued to see how it goes. But one thing we know for sure, Rangers definitely need defenders, and he is that.
Big Value
This is a guy who was once worth around £25M. He secured two caps for England, but we have to be realistic and say that that Ben Godfrey isn’t the one currently plying his trade.
Reasons for optimism
It does seem that British players have very mixed bags when it comes to Italy. Scottish players seem to do very, very well in Italy. English players are hit and miss. Godfrey is another one who just did not quite cut it at that level. But he did shine in the Premier League for Everton. So it is generally a mixed bag for him in his career, certainly in the last 2 or 3 years. Overall, we are fairly content with this one. We will be behind this lad and hope that he starts to show his old form. The stories of him being an injury case are not true. He just lost form. He just did not quite sparkle the way he did.
Injuries?
Maybe there were 1 or 2 injuries at some point that changed that. But he has not been injured significantly in quite a while. Godfrey is a good player. He’s even played for England. He is an England cap. But he’s not one who is shining in current times, and that’s probably why Rangers are able to get him. He’s not a Rangers man. He’s not Scottish. He does have a little bit of baggage, some might say. But we hope that this is another one where the manager’s call on it is correct. It is an interesting one. We will be very intrigued to see how it goes. But one thing we know for sure, Rangers definitely need defenders, and he is that.