Celtic will be on the lookout for a new goalkeeper this summer once Joe Hart hangs up his gloves after Saturday’s Scottish Cup final.
Rangers await at Hampden on the final day of the season before the Englishman will say goodbye for the last time following three years of service at Parkhead.
Brendan Rodgers will be tasked with finding a suitable replacement for Hart, which won’t be an easy task, factoring in his leadership qualities, experiences and insatiable hunger for trophies.
Nevertheless, all good things come to an end, and when one door closes, another will open for his successor to take command between the sticks in Glasgow’s east end.
Several names, such as Trabzonspor’s Ugurcan Cakir, Southampton stopper Alex McCarthy and Scotland international Liam Kelly have been mentioned as potential targets; however, another familiar face to Celtic fans is reportedly up for sale this summer.
Reporter claims Fraser Forster is up for sale at Tottenham Hotspur
According to journalist Paul O’Keefe, Tottenham Hotspur stopper Fraser Forster could be put up for sale this summer by Ange Postecoglou as part of a fire sale in North London.
The 36-year-old has just one year left on his deal at Spurs and has only featured once this campaign in the second round of the EFL Cup away to Fulham [Transfermarkt].
Of course, Forster is best known for his time north of the border at Celtic, where he achieved icon status for his exploits between the sticks, keeping 118 clean sheets in 234 appearances for the Bhoys.
Heroics against the likes of Barcelona in the Champions League earned him the nickname La Gran Muralla (The Great Wall) at Parkhead.
Meanwhile, his memorable one-man show against Rangers in the 2019 Scottish League Cup final was something to behold, alongside his 1256 minutes without conceding a goal in the Scottish Premiership, which is still a standalone record.
To be clear, Celtic haven’t so much as been linked with Forster at any point recently, but as the club searches for a new number one, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that his name may crop up in conversation due to a culmination of factors.
Neil Lennon has already commented on a potential Forster return
In an ideal world, Celtic would secure the signature of a young goalkeeper with some form of future sell-on value; however, Hart’s impending departure leaves a void in experience at the club, which may need to be addressed come the summer to maintain an adequate balance in the dressing room.
Forster has been over the course before, winning eight trophies during his two separate spells in Glasgow, which is a desirable quality in Rodgers’ pursuit of a stopper.
Despite this, his lack of game time would also be a concern, something that Neil Lennon recently eluded to when discussing whether there would be scope for him to return to the scene of his former glories.
Lennon stated: “Joe is leaving, Matt is (potentially) leaving, they were the two probably most consistent players this season. Celtic have a bit to do as well on that account, they definitely need to look at a really top number-one. That’s where you build your best teams from, I know from my own time, Fraser Forster (was a) precious commodity.
He continued when pressed on if he believed Forster would make a comeback: “He might be. I don’t know if he’d come back a third time or not. We’ll see. It’d be interesting.”
Celtic have decisions to make on the transfer front this summer
Once the summer transfer window opens, Celtic need to identify a replacement for Hart swiftly to avoid entering pre-season without an acclimatisation period for their new goalkeeper, whoever that may be.
Undoubtedly, the Bhoys will have a lengthy list of options under internal consideration, and it is more likely they aim to attract someone with a high level of distribution to complement their shot-stopping ability.
Either way, if Forster is available, his name may be one to keep an eye on should circumstances align, with time of the essence for Rodgers to source a new last line of defence heading into next season.