Chelsea & Arsenal Surprise Contenders to Sign Fraser Forster

Fraser Forster spent last season at Celtic.
Fraser Forster spent last season at Celtic. / Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
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Chelsea and Arsenal are both interested in signing forgotten Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster, according to a report.

Forster, who is on loan at Scottish Premiership champions Celtic, is currently third in the pecking order at St Mary's - behind Alex McCarthy and Angus Gunn - and has been out of the side for almost three years, when former manager Mauricio Pellegrino axed him following a string of indifferent performances.

Alex McCarthy has replaced Forster as Southampton's number one goalkeeper
Alex McCarthy has replaced Forster as Southampton's number one goalkeeper / Alex Livesey/Getty Images

He's enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence at former club Celtic, though, playing 28 of the Hoops' 30 Scottish Premiership games as the Bhoys wrapped up a ninth consecutive league title - albeit prematurely after the coronavirus cut the season short in Scotland.

Celtic are keen to make the deal permanent, but Football Insider claim that Chelsea and Arsenal are surprisingly in the running, as they seek to bolster their goalkeeping options.

The report claims that Chelsea are interested in Forster because of the uncertainty regarding Kepa Arrizabalaga's long term future at the club. The Spaniard has made a number of high profile errors at Stamford Bridge, and his inconsistent displays have left the club questioning whether or not they should stick with their £72m investment.

Current backup Willy Caballero is on board for another year - after penning fresh terms - but is no spring chicken in terms of age, and isn't considered a permanent replacement by Frank Lampard and co.

The Blues aren't the only ones interested in Forster, though. Arsenal are in the market for an understudy to Bernd Leno, as current number two Emiliano Martinez is keen to leave the Emirates Stadium in pursuit of regular first-team football.

Forster will be available for around £10m this summer with Arsenal, Chelsea and Celtic all interested
Forster will be available for around £10m this summer with Arsenal, Chelsea and Celtic all interested / Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

A keeper with Forster's experience would be a valuable addition for Arsenal, even though Leno is set to be a permanent fixture in the side for many years.

Forster has two years left on his £70,000-a-week deal at Southampton, but the Saints are willing to let the goalkeeper move on. A fee of £10m is likely to be enough to secure the 32-year-old's services, but time will tell if either side will stump up the money.