Chelsea are interested in English international Fraser Forster and are reportedly considering a summer move worth £10 million for the Southampton goalkeeper.
According to Football Insider and their sources, Fraser Forster has emerged as a summer target for Chelsea. The Southampton goalkeeper, who is currently back on loan to former club Celtic, is likely to cost around £10 million, with the Saints prepared to listen to offers for the English international.
Fraser Forster was, for a while, regarded as a strong contender to be the first choice in the English National Team. But, injuries have not been kind to him and he has failed to earn the trust of current Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl. The former RB Leipzig boss has preferred to field the likes of Angus Gunn and Alex McCarthy.
This resulted in Forster being third in the pecking order at Southampton and he was subsequently sent on loan to former club Celtic. The 30-year-old has done well in the Scottish Premiership, keeping clean sheets in 14 out of 28 league matches while letting just 17 goals past him.
Celtic are interested in making the loan move permanent this summer. But, their chances could take a hit, with Chelsea entering the fray. According to reports, Frank Lampard is willing to see out the remainder of the 2019-20 season and give Kepa Arrizabalaga the next 9 games to prove himself.
Should he fail to do so, Chelsea might look into the prospect of bringing in a new first-choice keeper or a worthy challenger, at the very least, since offloading Kepa in current market conditions would mean a huge loss on their world record fee.
Chelsea have been linked with a few names in the recent past. But, Forster might be the ideal target, especially with Lampard targeting big signings and already spending heavy in reinvigorating the attacking options. Hakim Ziyech is due to arrive in the summer, with an agreement in place with Timo Werner.
Forster is likely to cost around £10 million as per the report, which is more than fair for an experienced customer between the sticks. For Chelsea, though, it could be a massively positive decision. There would be no hurry to offload Kepa since they are not spending heavy on the Southampton stopper while the Spaniard would have an able replacement if his form continues to dwindle.
Furthermore, this would be a less risky option and would allow them to assess things at the end of the upcoming season. Forster could be enticed by a return to activity in the Premier League and while rejoining Celtic permanently is an emotional and lucrative option, Chelsea would obviously be financially more attractive while also providing a higher level of competition.
Even though Chelsea have targeted long-term signings recently, this could be one deal that piques the board’s interest in the summer.
