Rangers are already eyeing up defensive reinforcements in the January transfer window and may well be boosted by a development on one target in Everton defender Ben Godfrey.
Online news outlet 90min shared on 8 November that the Light Blues want to sign out-of-favour Everton centre-back Ben Godfrey when the window re-opens.
It is believed that the Toffees are open to shifting the 25-year-old from their books this winter considering he has featured for just one minute in the Premier League this season.
And the Englishman’s exit from Goodison Park in the winter window now looks nailed on after he was shifted down the under-21s on Wednesday evening (22 November) against La Liga outfit Athletic Bilbao.
Rangers will face stiff competition from the likes of Newcastle, Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Burnley to get a deal done, but it is clear Godfrey wants to leave for more regular football.
When clubs move for players who haven’t played regular first-team football there is always the risk that they may not be up to speed when they arrive, especially in the January transfer window when they don’t have a pre-season to prepare.
However, this new development from Everton not only suggests that Godfrey is destined to quit the club in January but also trying to get crucial minutes in ahead of the January window, so clubs like Rangers will be more convinced of his readiness to make a swift impact should he sign.
Given the Light Blues are aiming to close the gap to Celtic, they need players who can have an immediate impact rather than more slow burners like the likes of Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers and Dujon Sterling who are still finding their feet at Ibrox.
Godfrey, despite his struggles on the blue half of Merseyside still stands out as a very capable defender possessing tremendous recovery speed – suitable for Clement’s high-intensity and high defensive line approach, also possesses great strength, aerial dominance and a reading of the game that makes him a sure bet to succeed at Ibrox.
Clement’s current options in Conor Goldson, John Souttar, Ben Davies and Leon Balogun have done well since he’s come in but they are options that can be improved upon greatly and Godfrey, at a cheap price given his contract at Everton runs out in 2025 is the perfect and most smart choice.
If Rangers need to take any hint that Everton are ready and waiting for transfer approaches, Wednesday night’s development cannot be made any clearer for them.