Tottenham Hotspur lining up January deal for England international: report

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou
Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou (Image credit: Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur have scored more goals than every team in the Premier League apart from Liverpool yet they sit in the bottom half of the table at the halfway point of the season.

In truth, Tottenham have become notoriously unreliable. Four defeats and just one win in December put Ange Postecoglou’s dogmatic approach back in the spotlight. They averaged two goals conceded in the last seven games of 2024.

They scored three times in consecutive home games and lost both. Even Big Ange might be minded to tighten things up after that and Tottenham are reportedly turning to an England international abroad to bolster his defensive options.

Tottenham moving for former Everton defender

TURIN, ITALY - DECEMBER 18: Ben Godfrey of Atalanta acknowledges the fans after the Coppa Italia match between Atalanta and Cesena at Gewiss Stadium on December 18, 2024 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) Tottenham target

Atalanta defender Ben Godfrey (Image credit: Getty Images)

According to transfer market expert Rudy Galetti, Spurs are interested in bringing Ben Godfrey back to the Premier League. Godfrey moved from Everton to Serie A outfit Atalanta last summer but has been a mostly unused substitute for the Italian league leaders.

Galetti has reported that Spurs are lining up a bid to cut short Godfrey’s time in Italy, with Wolves apparently also keen on the 26-year-old central defender.

Tottenham target Ben Godfrey in action for Everton

Spurs target Ben Godfrey in action for Everton (Image credit: Getty)

Godfrey joined the Toffees from Norwich City in 2021 and posted consistently good defensive numbers in the Premier League. He played twice for England in the lead-up to the delayed European Championship in 2021.

There’s a short-term issue at the back for Spurs as well as a requirement for stability. Injury problems for Cristian Romero, Ben Davies and Micky van de Ven make Godfrey an attractive prospect.

18-year-old Archie Gray has played 90 minutes in each of Tottenham’s last four games. While he’s a player with exciting potential, signing a central defender to address the acute need in the here and now is the club’s most obvious move.

Postecoglou and Spurs have had to deal with an injury crisis this season. The manager has been reluctant to blame injuries for the team’s dipping form but remains confident that consistency will come when players return.

In FourFourTwo's view, this is a move that could work well for all parties - Godfrey would make a return to the Premier League with the opportunity for more minutes, while Tottenham would boost their backline without having to fork out a heap of cash.

Tottenham will play in the early kick-off in the Premier League on Saturday, taking on in-form Newcastle United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Chris Nee

Chris is a freelance writer and the author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter. He's based in Warwickshire and is the Head of Media for Coventry Sphinx.

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