Ipswich Town have completed the loan signing of Atalanta’s Ben Godfrey on a deal until the end of the season.
Godfrey is the first player through the door at Portman Road in January as the Tractor Boys aim to bolster their defensive options going into the second half of 2024/25.
The former Everton and Norwich defender has barely featured for his parent club this campaign. Nonetheless, the 26-year-old is expected to feature heavily for Kieran McKenna’s side.
Godfrey has plenty of Premier League experience from his time at Goodison Park and Carrow Road. However, he will need minutes to get up to speed after struggling in Italy.
The former England player joins the club after Ipswich were denied a valuable three points at Fulham on Sunday afternoon.
Subsequently, the Suffolk side are still in the relegation zone after Raul Jimenez’s injury-time penalty ensured a share of the spoils in west London.
We've completed the loan signing of Ben Godfrey from Atalanta. 🤝
Welcome to Town, Ben!
— Ipswich Town (@IpswichTown) January 5, 2025
Ben Godfrey Joins Ipswich Town
Speaking to reporters after the draw with the Cottagers, McKenna said: “We’re positive about it and we’re happy to have him.
“It’s an area of the team we wanted to strengthen. Axel Tuanzebe has been a really important player for us at the start of the season but has missed quite a lot of time.
“Hopefully he’s a month away, but he’s missed quite a lot of time and we’ve missed that profile quite a bit in terms of a centre-back who can play right-back, who is strong one-v-one and has good physicality.
“Ben comes in and gives us another profile like that in the squad, he has Premier League experience, is hungry to come here, is a strong character and we’re really happy to have him for the second half of the season.”
McKenna went on to confirm that he will be aiming to add more reinforcements this month. Especially up top to help support Liam Delap.
Godfrey could make his debut in the FA Cup clash against Bristol Rovers on January 12. Ahead of the match, the best football betting sites have all the latest odds and markets.
