Tottenham are now keen to sign Ben Foster – who seems to like Arsenal a lot – on a free transfer after Hugo Lloris suffered an injury.
What’s the story?
Well, this may turn out to be an unpopular signing by Spurs based on the 39-year-old’s recent actions.
After his contract with Watford expired in the summer of 2022, Foster admitted on his FozCast podcast that he would “love to join” Arsenal, who are, of course, Tottenham’s bitter rivals in north London.
The England international was also wearing an Arsenal shirt at the time.
Foster said: “Yes, I would (join as a backup goalkeeper). Say, it was someone like Arsenal or something, or even Aston Villa. I would love to do that and I would happily go in every day by saying ‘this is my role’ because it’s a massive role.”
It was the Mirror who revealed that Tottenham are considering an emergency swoop to sign the man with 390 Premier League appearances to his name, after Lloris was ruled out for eight weeks with a knee injury.
However, the article states that Spurs will require special permission from the Premier League to include Foster in their 25-man squad.
The Leamington-born glovesman made 26 Premier League appearances for Watford last season as the Hornets finished 19th in the Premier League, keeping just four clean sheets while also conceding 49 goals in what a miserable campaign.
Why Tottenham should avoid Foster besides Arsenal comments
Putting aside his comments about Arsenal for a moment, Antonio Conte should avoid a move for Foster due to the impact it could have on his other options in the goalkeeping department – Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman.
The duo – who have one senior appearance for Spurs between them – have presumably been waiting ages for a situation like this to arise, so it would be a huge blow to their confidence if an emergency option arrived.
It would suggest Conte has no faith in the pair whatsoever, while it could also send a negative message out to more of those in the youth ranks at Tottenham, who work hard on a daily basis for opportunities like this to come around.
Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as Foster could be signed at any time due to his status as a free agent.
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