Everton receive bid from Atalanta for Ben Godfrey | OneFootball

Everton have rejected a €10 million (£8.46m) bid from Atalanta for defender Ben Godfrey, according to The Athletic.

The Italian club are keen on bringing the 26-year-old to Serie A, but their initial offer falls short of the Toffees’ asking price of £15m.

Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini will be sidelined for months after suffering a serious injury ahead of the 2024 European Championship.

La Dea are in the market for a centre-half to replace the promising Italian youngster and have turned to Godfrey.

He is interested in a move to Atalanta, but they will need to improve their offer to secure his services.

Everton are willing to let the defender enter the final year of his contract and depart for free in 2025 rather than sell him for a price they deem insufficient.

Godfrey joined Everton from Norwich City in 2016 and has made 93 appearances in all competitions.

However, he has struggled to secure regular playing time under Sean Dyche, making just 16 appearances across all competitions last term.

The England international is a reasonable option for any club looking to bolster their backline this summer.

Godfrey’s contract expires next year, and this summer is Everton’s last chance to recoup a decent transfer fee for the defender.