European Giants Open the Door for Ruud van Nistelrooy to Pursue £10m Leicester City Target – Journalist
The January Transfer Window Presents Ruud van Nistelrooy with Chance to Bolster Leicester City Squad.
Leicester City’s recent performances have shown that improvements are urgently needed, especially after manager Ruud van Nistelrooy witnessed his team crumble during the Christmas period.
The Foxes suffered three consecutive defeats against Newcastle, Liverpool, and Manchester City, conceding a total of nine goals in the process.
In terms of league standing, positions 1-4 secure Champions League qualification, position 5 offers a spot in the UEFA Europa League, and positions 18-20 face relegation.
With Leicester having the joint-worst defence in the league, alongside Wolves, the club has been linked with several centre-backs, and van Nistelrooy could be looking to strengthen his squad by signing one European player in particular.
Atalanta has made Leicester target Ben Godfrey available for a potential move.
The 26-year-old, who joined Atalanta from Everton for £10m in the summer, has struggled for game time, playing just 93 minutes in all competitions, with only one appearance in Serie A.
As a result, Godfrey may push for a move back to the Premier League, especially after being excluded from Atalanta’s Super Cup squad.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Godfrey is no longer part of Atalanta’s plans, and his limited involvement suggests he could be available for transfer.
A return to the Premier League could be appealing for Godfrey, and his stats indicate that he could be a solid addition to Leicester’s defence.
As Leicester faces the threat of relegation, signing a centre-back is one of van Nistelrooy’s key priorities, and Godfrey could be an upgrade on the current options available, including Conor Coady, Jannik Vestergaard, Wout Faes, and Caleb Okoli.
Statistically, Godfrey has been impressive over the past year.
He ranks in the top 1% of defenders across Europe for clearances and the top 3% for aerial duels won. His defensive stats per 90 minutes are as follows:
2.44 tackles
1.18 interceptions
1.18 blocks
4.54 clearances
2.02 aerials won
Additionally, Godfrey has a solid offensive presence, with 0.14 non-penalty xG per 90 and 1.26 shots, ranking him in the top 4% and 6% for those metrics.
With over 100 Premier League appearances, he brings valuable experience.
For van Nistelrooy, now could be the perfect time to secure Godfrey’s signature and provide Leicester with the defensive reinforcement they desperately need, potentially ending the 26-year-old’s difficult spell in Italy.
