Kevin Graham has been discussing the future of Fraser Forster during a recent episode of the A Celtic State of Mind podcast.
The 32-year-old spent the 2019/20 campaign on loan from Southampton having initially left the Hoops in 2014 to join the Saints in a deal reportedly worth £11.25m (as per Transfermarkt).
The Englishman made 39 appearances for the Hoops during last season, conceding 28 goals and keeping 17 clean sheets.
When talking about where he feels Neil Lennon should be strengthening his team, Graham spoke regarding the goalkeeping position and the chances of the club bringing Forster back to Glasgow. Here is what he had to say:
“We need a third-choice goalkeeper, or a second-choice goalkeeper. That budget is not going to stretch to Fraser Forster coming back on loan, I don’t think. I think we’ve spent a big part of the budget on the first-choice goalkeeper which is [Vasilios] Barkas, and now what’s happened to Fraser – as we all predicted was going to happen to him – I can actually see him going elsewhere.
“I cannot see him coming to Celtic, but I can see us bringing another goalkeeper on loan.”
Would you have preferred to see Forster come in over Barkas?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts…
Among other players, Celtic signed goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas from AEK Athens back in July in a deal worth £4.5m (as per Transfermarkt). As a result, in our view, it was unlikely they were going to have the funds to bring Forster back to the club for another season and Graham agrees.
Having started four of their league fixtures so far, he’s managed to keep three clean sheets to date (via Transfermarkt). Taking into account his impressive start to life at Parkhead, it can certainly be argued that if the Hoops are to bring in another goalkeeper it would only be as a backup to the Greek international.