Neil Lennon has admitted that signing Southampton keeper Fraser Forster on a permanent deal could be difficult for Celtic based on how much the shot-stopper will cost the club.
Speaking to the Scotsman, the Hoops manager confessed that although he is keen on Forster remaining with the club beyond next season, affordability will be the main roadblock in trying to get a permanent deal done for the 31-year-old keeper.
Forster has been nothing short of sensational for the Hoops since returning to the Scottish side this season on loan, with the Southampton-owned goalkeeper coming up big for Celtic on multiple occasions this campaign, notably this past weekend against Rangers where the England international saved a penalty and made a flurry of saves to ensure Lennon’s side secured the Scottish League Cup.
Is Forster worth £25m?
Yes
No
Lennon said about the possibility of the club signing Forster permanently: “It’s about affordability. That’s something we can talk about. I’ll talk to the player but first, we have to make the call to Southampton and I’ll need to speak to (chief executive) Peter Lawwell about that.
The Celtic manager added with: “Is it beyond us? I don’t know. Would I love to do it? Of course, but we have to be realistic at times and we can’t go overboard either. We have to be prudent but we have him right now and it’s fantastic, because he’s definitely made us better.”
With Football Insider reporting that Southampton are looking to sell on Forster for profit, Ralph Hasenhuttl will likely be open to allowing the current Celtic star to leave the club for good should the Hoops come in with a reasonable offer for the keeper, and with the Saints seemingly still choosing between Angus Gunn and Alex McCarthy as to who should be the no. 1, the 31-year-old shot-stopper could potentially be allowed to depart for a fee below his market value.
