‘Perfect’: Alan Thompson says Celtic should buy £10m star, if they can afford him

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Scottish Premiership champions Celtic would surely love to sign Fraser Forster permanently from Premier League Southampton.

Fraser Forster would be the ‘perfect’ signing for Celtic this summer, Hoops legend Alan Thompson has told ReadCeltic, with the Southampton loanee facing an uncertain future beyond the 2019/20 campaign.

Five years after he swapped Glasgow for the South Coast in a £10 million deal, an England international who had hit rock bottom south of the border was handed a second chance at Parkhead.

And it didn’t take long for Forster to rediscover the match-winning brilliance that once made him arguably the most in-form shot-stopper in the UK.

Not only has the 32-year-old made four penalty saves this season alone, including one in the League Cup victory over Rangers in December, Forster has also pulled off a series of genuinely world-class feats of athleticism, particularly during a brilliant Europa League group-stage for Neil Lennon’s side.

The former Newcastle United youngster is due to return to St Mary’s in the summer but Thompson, a four-time Scottish Premiership champion, is hoping to see his old employers intervene with a permanent contract.

“Knowing Fraser as I do, and considering the age he’s at, he’d be the perfect person to go on and be the Celtic number one for a number of years, where he can hopefully help them win more titles and more trophies,” said Thompson, while admittedly uncertain about whether the deal is within Celtic’s means.

“I don’t know if they can get there, in terms of the numbers, for a transfer fee and his wages.”

Lennon hinted to the Sun this week that Celtic would hold talks with Southampton but much will depend on whether the Saints see a future for Forster at St Mary’s.

Angus Gunn has endured a season to forget, his reputation forever tainted by that 9-0 thrashing at Leicester City. But Alex McCarthy has enjoyed an impressive run of form between the sticks, potentially opening the door for Forster to stay where he is.