It’s no secret that Celtic have experienced quite a nightmare in terms of goalkeeping this season with Vasilis Barkas and Scott Bain just not filling the role to the standards the club have come to expect in recent years.
There was hope among some the fans that the club would reach out and bring in some help between the sticks over the January window despite signing Barkas from AEK Athens in the summer. Rumours had swirled that Fraser Forster could make yet another return to Parkhead in the January window before having to step in to cover for his Southampton teammate Alex McCarthy.
Forster stepped in for the club’s January 4 match against Liverpool and kept a clean sheet in the side’s 1-0 victory over the reigning Premier League champions, continuing his good form from last season despite not feature at all till that point.
Following this return to the Premier League, he kept three consecutive clean sheets for the side in FA Cup matches, proving he can still be a dominant goalkeeper.
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Does it make sense for Celtic to go after Forster once again?
With his success stepping in for a teammate in January as well as in the FA Cup matches thus far, it would be no shock to once again see Forster pursue an exit from the English club in favour of more playing time, as manager Ralph Hassenhuttl has seemingly refused to turn away from Alex McCarthy in net despite his poor run of form of late, where his side have let in a shocking 18 goals over five matches.
And if Barkas fails to come into form after Celtic’s £4.5 million investment in him and the club are unable to find a solid replacement for next season, they could very well then look to Forster, a player with an established history with them.
Now, we know that the Englishman rejected the chance to return to Parkhead in the summer. But in the current financial climate, it is unlikely that they will spend money to bring in another goalkeeper at the end of this campaign. In that situation, does it not make sense to try and get a deal done for him instead of going into another season with the trio of Barkas, Bain and Hazard?
While it seemed earlier in the season Forster was set on remaining in England despite the potential for consistent playing time and Champions League football in Glasgow, his form is sure to attract suitors once again this summer. And as the Hoops have struggled in terms of goalkeeping this campaign, the side could very well be forced to go after the big Englishman once again.