Tottenham accelerate signing of two-cap England int’l to solve defensive crisis

Tottenham have made an approach to sign a former Premier League defender now based in Serie A, and the January addition is quickly taking shape, according to a report.

Tottenham have been ravaged by injuries at the heart of defence this season, with Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven both sidelined for the second time this season. Ben Davies – who has primarily played at centre-back in the latter stages of his career – is also ruled out with a hamstring injury.

The raft of absentees has forced Ange Postecoglou to field Archie Gray out of position alongside Radu Dragusin at centre-back. It’s a pairing that has failed to convince, with Spurs conceding nine goals in their last two matches.

According to a fresh update from Football Insider, Tottenham are determined to provide Postecoglou with reinforcements in January.

A new defender is top of their wishlist for obvious reasons and per the report, an approach has been made for Atalanta’s Ben Godfrey.

The former Everton man, 26, joined Atalanta in a deal worth roughly £11m last summer. However, he’s failed to break into Gian Piero Gasperini’s table-topping side, racking up just 93 minutes of action across all competitions.

Godfrey – who won two caps for England in 2021 – could soon have the opportunity to prove his worth back in England by way of a six-month loan spell in north London.

FI added there is ‘growing belief’ an agreement is there to be made and Tottenham have surged into the position of favourites.

‘Work has already begun on the move’ and a six-month loan spell to see out the season is reportedly being sought.

Latest Tottenham news – Fagioli, Trafford, Postecoglou

In other news, reports in Italy state Juventus midfielder, Nicolo Fagioli, is tempted by the idea of joining Tottenham in January.

Other Premier League clubs are keen on the €25m-rated midfielder, though Fagioli views Spurs as the more ‘prestigious’ option.

Elsewhere, Tottenham are reportedly weighing up a £20m move for a top Championship goalkeeper following Fraser Forster’s blunders in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and Guglielmo Vicario’s long-term injury.

The Daily Mirror reports that Burnley star James Trafford has once again emerged as a January target for Spurs, with the Championship outfit set to demand £20m for the stopper.

Meanwhile, Postecoglou threatened to give reporters the silent treatment if they refuse to acknowledge that injuries are the biggest reason behind Tottenham’s defensive issues.

“You know what? I’m just going to stop answering these questions,” Postecoglou replied to BBC Sport. “If people can’t see the obvious I’m not going to point it out.

“Look, make of it what you want, yes we’re conceding goals. If you want to discount the fact we’re missing a goalkeeper, two centre-backs and a left-back as well and that hasn’t coincided with what we’re doing… I don’t know what to say anymore.

“I think people make up their minds in their own way. They either think what I’m doing is good or they don’t and that’s fine.”

GO DEEPER: Why Ben Godfrey isn’t playing at Atalanta

By Samuel Bannister

It’s fair to say that Godfrey’s move from Everton to Atalanta was one of the more surprising moves of the summer, but the defender may not have expected to be featuring so rarely in Italy.

Godfrey seemed like a smart pickup by the Serie A side, famed for their intelligent recruitment. As a versatile defender who can play anywhere across the backline, he seemed a solid fit for Gian Piero Gasperini’s three-man defence. But the York-born player has only made five appearances for Atalanta so far, and all of those have been as a substitute.

Later in the summer transfer window, Atalanta brought in Odilon Kossounou from Bayer Leverkusen on loan, and he has been shown more faith out of their two new defenders.

Isak Hien, meanwhile, has gone from strength to strength as Gasperini’s most trusted centre-back, standing out as one of the league’s best, and with La Dea flying at the top of the Serie A table, why change a winning formula?

Realistically, Godfrey is about fourth or fifth choice for Atalanta, especially with top prospect Giorgio Scalvini working his way back from injury, and he may need to secure an early escape if he doesn’t want to waste what should be his prime years as his 27th birthday approaches in January.