Former Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster looks like he could be set to exit current club Southampton on a free next summer after his gamble of first-team football with the St Mary’s side failed.
Reports this afternoon from the Southampton Athletic correspondent, Dan Sheldon, stated that Forster looks set to have no future under Ralph Hassenhutl, with goalkeeper Alex McCarthy signing a new three-year deal with the club.
?EXCL: Alex McCarthy has signed a new three-year contract at #SaintsFC, paving the way for Fraser Forster to leave once his deal expires next summer.
The club will make signing a new GK in 2022 a priority.
Full story on @TheAthleticUK:https://t.co/5UrxkdGiMW
— Dan Sheldon (@dansheldonsport) August 25, 2021
After another successful loan spell with the Hoops in the 2019/20 season, which was also cut short due to Covid, many fans expected Forster would be leaning towards a return to Glasgow permanently.
There have been many reports of what took place during last summer’s window, but ultimately Forster decided to remain with Southampton and fight for his first-team place.
This also led to Celtic signing Greek keeper Vasilias Barkas for a fee in the region of around £5 million.
For both parties, it hasn’t exactly worked out over the past 12 months or so.
Of course, the 33-year old would have felt like he had a point to prove at the Saints. However, the best choice at the time possibly would have been to return to Parkhead.
Now, that opportunity looks to have passed with former England international Joe Hart signing a four-year deal and getting off to a good start under Ange Postecoglou.
Speculation will likely pop up again if he becomes a free agent this summer. But if Hart can keep the form up that we have seen in recent weeks, there’s a good chance it will quickly fade for some.
Nope. He had his chance and rebuffed us. Twice. Trying to re-sign him again would be a lazy Lawwell manoeuver.
Thanks for the memories but I’d rather not see him in the hoops again.