Everton, in their desperation to gather some funds, have understandably been linked with some high-profile exits.
The progress made in recent months has been mesmeric and meteoric, with a select few making up the spine that has achieved such success.
The likes of Amadou Onana and Jarrad Branthwaite have provided a youthful core to offset the experience James Tarkowski, Jordan Pickford and others bring.
However, and unsurprisingly, it is that former duo that is therefore garnering attention elsewhere.
To lose either one of these stars would be to receive a gut punch that severely weakens either centre-back or central midfield, and it will be something Sean Dyche desperately wants to avoid.
On the other hand, however, the interest shown in Ben Godfrey has marked an intriguing prospect to potentially recoup some much-needed cash whilst not seeing the first team diminished.
Tottenham Hotspur seemed the most likely to swoop for his services, as reports suggested, but the latest by TEAMtalk has sought to dispel those rumours.
In fact, they even go a step further, to claim that contract talks between the Toffees and their £75k-per-week unit are now ‘underway’.
How good has Ben Godfrey been for Everton?
Although injuries, among other setbacks, have hampered a once-promising career, there is still every chance that Godfrey could return to prominence at Everton despite falling dramatically down the pecking order.
Under Carlo Ancelotti, there was a very serious threat of the 25-year-old actually bursting into the England setup, given how he impressed all across the backline for the legendary Italian.
In fact, following his £20m move from Norwich City, the defender would go on to make 29 Premier League starts in the following season, maintaining 1.1 interceptions, 1.8 tackles and 3.5 clearances per game, via Sofascore.
Although that kind of quality has seldom been seen since, last Saturday’s performance at Burnley did see him roll back the years.
A comfortable showing at Turf Moor, he would exercise the assets that made him a once-revered figure on Merseyside just before half-time with a marauding defensive interception that stopped a certain goal.
However, just three days later in the EFL Cup, he was dropped.
Perhaps this potential new deal marks a renewed show of faith for Godfrey, who has endured some truly trying years in royal blue.
After all, few would argue against his immense physical attributes, which are arguably perfect for top-level football.
As such, Kevin Thelwell must be trusted to make this kind of decision, with fans certain to trust his methods given the success he has achieved thus far since joining in 2022.
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