Everton’s financial situation over the last few seasons has been well documented, with the club struggling to meet the Premier League’s rules following poor dealings in the market and the building of their new stadium.
The financial problems behind the scenes at Goodison Park have prevented boss Sean Dyche from bringing in any major signings, with the club still trying to cut losses as and where they can.
Despite the six-point deduction received back in November, the Toffees boss has given the club a great chance of staying in the Premier League – with the club still four points clear of the drop.
He’s had to rely on many cheap signings and free agents to steer the Toffees away from any potential danger, with the likes of James Garner and James Tarkowski key to their league position.
However, the club should look to move one player on in the summer, with the current Everton man failing to make a real impact this season despite his hefty transfer to Goodison Park.
Ben Godfrey’s stats at Everton:
After joining the club from Norwich City for £25m back in October 2020, Ben Godfrey looked to be a real coup by the club – with the defender previously being linked with Manchester United.
He made an immediate impact at the heart of the Everton defence, featuring 36 times for the club in all competitions. However, that was by far his best campaign at the club, with his minutes and appearances gradually declining after his first campaign.
During the 2021/22 season, Godfrey made 27 appearances for the Toffees, featuring for 2,345 minutes as the club narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship.
The arrival of Tarkowski last season saw his appearance tally drop further, with the former Norwich defender only able to play 14 times for the Toffees, with minutes decreasing by more than 50%.
However, this campaign has been a new low for the 26-year-old, with Godfrey only being selected by Dyche on nine occasions – seven of which have been since the end of January.
Why Everton should look to move Godfrey on this summer:
When he arrived at Goodison Park, the defender signed a five-year deal on a reported £76k-per-week – a figure that is 155% higher than talented midfielder Garner, who earns around £30k-per-week.
The former Manchester United youngster has been brilliant under Dyche this season, with a new contract needed for the 23-year-old to reflect his importance to the Toffees.
Godfrey’s lack of game time in recent seasons, coupled with his high wage, should give the Toffees enough of a reason to part ways with the 26-year-old – the former Norwich man having started just nine league games this term, after starting just ten during the previous campaign.
It could be Everton’s last opportunity to make any return on their £25m investment, with the defender having one year left on his current contract at Goodison. He’s clearly the third-choice centre-back under Dyche, with the boss favouring the likes of Branthwaite and Tarkowski over the 6 foot defender, with Godfrey looking a shadow of his former self.
Given the club’s FFP troubles, the club need to be ruthless in axing players – with Godfrey’s weekly wage of £76k-per-week saving the club £4m a season.
The club simply can’t turn that amount of money down given their financial situation, with Godfrey personally needing a move away from the club in order to resurrect his once-promising career.