Reports: Tottenham Hotspur closing in on Fraser Forster
Tottenham Hotspur are set to complete the acquisition of Southampton FC goalkeeper Fraser Forster by next week, according to the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath.
The 34-year-old is poised to join the club via a free transfer as his current deal with the Saints expires this June. The departure appears mutual as Forster did not feature in Southampton’s 4-1 defeat to Leicester City on the final day as Alex McCarthy made only his second appearance since mid-December after suffering a hamstring injury.
The Spurs have planned to infuse the Englishman as club captain Hugo Lloris’ deputy. According to reports, Forster will undergo his medical sometime this week ahead of the transfer. Tottenham were also heavily linked with Sam Johnstone, but have opted for a cheaper alternative. This could be largely due to the Spurs plans for a summer overhaul as Conte constructs a roster in line with his ideologies.
Forster joined Southampton from Celtic FC back in 2104, and has gone on to make 162 appearances for the club in what has been a stint full of ups and downs. He played the latter part of his Saints as second fiddle to McCarthy.
He did, however, make 19 Premier League appearances for the Saints this term. His manager Ralph Hasenhuttl lavished praise after an impressive display in their 1-0 victory over Arsenal, affirming “I was very happy how he reacted when he got the chance to play and absolutely, he has a very good argument with all of his effort.”
It appeared there would be positive talks between the club and Forster, only for Hasenhuttl to claim that the futures of his goalkeepers would be discussed after the season ends. He recently remarked “After the season. Before, we don’t need to do it because we don’t know what happens next season. And even then, we will have a look at what direction everybody goes and then we will do it.”
Southampton are set to lose former Chelsea shot-stopper Willy Caballero as well, whilst youngster Harry Lewis will join Bradford City ahead of next season.
As for the Spurs, they’ll have an experienced goalkeeper at their disposal; someone who has always had a knack for making spectacular saves. Having achieved Champions League qualification for next season, many expect Conte to be deservedly backed by ownership to create a team in his own image.
-Akarshak Roy
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Solent Creatives. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.