Former Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti once raved about Newcastle target Ben Godfrey’s impressive speed following his debut season on Merseyside.
Reports in the Mirror claim Eddie Howe is keen on bringing the 24-year-old - who started for the Toffees in their 1-0 win against the Magpies - to Tyneside this summer. Newcastle are expected to splash the cash once survival is secured and defence is an area they will be looking to bolster again.
January arrivals Kieran Trippier, Matt Targett and Dan Burn have greatly improved a Toon backline that looked beyond repair earlier in the campaign. Newcastle have not conceded more than one goal in any fixture since December but centre-back remains a top priority after the failed pursuit of Diego Carlos and Sven Botman.
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Real Madrid manager Ancelotti - the man who signed Godfrey as Everton boss in 2020 - believes the defender’s pace is his strongest attribute. Speaking to the Liverpool Echo last year, he said: "I think the best quality that Ben Godfrey has is the speed. He is really fast and really aggressive with or without the ball. He's fast, intelligent and it's difficult to find him out of position.”
Pace is a scarce asset in the Newcastle backline - despite the improvements in January. None of the Magpies’ centre-back options possess blistering speed while Trippier, Targett, Emil Krafth, Javier Manquillo or Paul Dummett are hardly known for their fast stride at full-back.
Playing speed demon Godfrey alongside the more technical Schar and dominant Burn in a back three would offer Newcastle a balanced backline if Howe ever reverted to a wing-back system. His ability to play at either full-back would also provide Howe with versatility when looking to trim a bulky 25-man squad. Godfrey - a centre-back by trade - started at left-back in Everton’s 1-0 win against the Magpies, but can also operate on the right side of defence. Ancelotti valued adaptability and called the player a ‘fantastic’ summer signing.
He added: "Godfrey (had) consistency while changing positions most of the time. He played left-back, right-back, he played centre back - and every time he did really well, I'm really satisfied. He was a fantastic signing in the summer. He showed fantastic quality and defensive ability.
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