Why offloading Ben Godfrey would be a foolish decision by Norwich City
According to Sky Sports, Norwich City are ready to demand £50m for defender Ben Godfrey, amid interest from a number of clubs.
The 22-year-old centre-back has enjoyed rare individual success despite his side’s dismal show this season. The Canaries under coach Daniel Farke recently lost 2-1 to rivals Watford and are poised for relegation back to the Championship after just one season in the Premier League.
Despite, Norwich’s struggles in the top-flight this season, nothing has stopped Godfrey from attracting interest following his impressive displays at the back. Having helped Norwich gain promotion last season, Godfrey has now emerged on the radars of Bundesliga sides Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig. (h/t Sky Sports)
Though Norwich are likely to get relegated, they not prepared to accept a cut-price deal for the defender, who has made 29 appearances across all competitions this season. Despite his young age, Godfrey has already played 71 times for the Canaries and has five goals and two assists to his name, proving that he is not short of talent.
Godfrey offers Norwich consistency at the back
Meanwhile, Norwich’s fate in the top-division will be decided when they meet fellow relegation strugglers West Ham United on Saturday. If the Canaries lose their next home match against the Hammers, they will certainly be relegated.
Norwich have the second-worst defensive record in the league so far, having conceded as many as 63 goals from their overall 34 matches. Despite, the side’s struggles in defence, young Godfrey has been the only regular face at the back for them.
Except for missing five matches due to a torn knee ligament during the Christmas period, the young defender has consistently managed to hold onto to his spot. Apart from him, Norwich have four other centre-backs in their ranks. However, none of them have played as many games as Godfrey.
Also, the growing age of veteran defender Timm Klose remains a major concern for Norwich. He turned 32 last May and had been sidelined for the major share of this season due to a knee injury. He recently returned to the side in June, but has started to show clear signs of ageing.
Grant Hanley and Christoph Zimmermann are the other two established centre-backs in the side but neither of them have succeeded in nailing down a spot.
Considering all this, it would be foolish of Norwich to let go of Godfrey, who has been one of their consistent performers in recent times. Losing him will also hurt the side badly in their pursuit of getting back into the top-flight if they return to the Championship at the end of this season.
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Verdict
Norwich’s performances in defence have been poor this season. So, it would be imprudent for them to let their most reliable defender, Godfrey, leave. Moreover, he is still young and can develop further. This, in turn, will help them in future whether they stay or get relegated. Hence, the Canaries should not sell Godfrey.
