Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster is reportedly undergoing a medical at Celtic ahead of a potential Parkhead return.
One of the toughest challenges that Ralph Hasenhuttl faced this summer appeared to be shifting Fraser Forster off the Southampton books with the goalkeeper making just one appearance for the Saints since the end of 2017.
Forster has spent much of that time behind Angus Gunn and Alex McCarthy in the pecking order, but it would not be a huge surprise if he was one of the best paid third-choice stoppers in the Premier League having last signed a new contract when his position looked to be set in stone.
The Sun reports that he cost Southampton £10 million when he signed from Celtic, while Spotrac suggests that the 31-year-old earns £70,000-a-week on the south coast – which is not far off double what Gunn pockets.
Those terms looked set to be a huge stumbling block preventing Forster from earning a move away. He is currently a third-choice goalkeeper with a contract that some undisputed number ones in the Premier League would probably be extremely envious of.
But it appears that there is light at the end of the tunnel for both Southampton and Forster, with The Sun reporting that the former Celtic man is heading for a medical at Parkhead ahead of a potential return to the club this summer.
Celtic fans will understandably feel that they are the big winners from this potential deal – which will presumably be a loan, unless the Saints take a massive financial hit. Scott Bain was poor before he sustained the injury that has ruled him out for a couple of months, while Craig Gordon’s form had been on a steady decline for a while before he was dropped.
But even if the Saints are only sanctioning a loan deal for Forster, it could well be the Premier League side who ultimately prove to get the most out of the move.
Forster is returning to a club where he enjoyed a lot of success and he will almost definitely get the chance to play week-in, week-out while he is back with the Bhoys.
The goalkeeper is now able to put himself in the shop window and perhaps show the form that convinced Southampton to part with an eight-figure sum to bring him to St Mary’s. If he does impress, it seems much more likely that another club will come in with a permanent bid for the stopper during a future window.
Had Forster not secured a move this summer, it would not have been a big surprise if his Southampton exit only came when his current deal expired and he left, quietly, on a free transfer.
The Saints may have to take a financial hit for the time-being to get a loan deal agreed. But they may well have the last laugh if Forster shows the kind of form at Celtic that convinces another club to sign him permanently further down the line.
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