Celtic are prepared to sign goalkeeper Fraser Forster on a permanent basis from Southampton, provided he accepts a significant reduction on his salary, Football Insider reports.
The England international rejoined the Hoops on a season-long loan from the Saints last summer and he has been their undisputed first-choice goalkeeper with 39 appearances in all competitions.
The recently-crowned Scottish champions are definitely keen on signing him on a permanent basis but they are not in a position to cover the transfer fee and his wages at the same time.
Forster is said to earn around £70,000-a-week and that is reportedly more than twice of the salary of the highest earners at Parkhead which include long-serving captain Scott Brown.
Hence, Neil Lennon’s side have made it clear that Fraser must take a pay-cut to secure a permanent deal, which remains far from straightforward with the Saints’ reported £10m valuation.
The Hoops were recently named the Scottish Premiership champions for the ninth-straight season after the teams reached a unanimous decision that the season can’t be concluded amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Fraser’s loan contract is due to expire at the end of June but the club could seek a short-term extension, suppose the resumption of the Scottish Cup is delayed beyond that period.
The Glasgow giants are eyeing a fourth successive treble of domestic trophies. They are likely to face Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final at some point of time.
Apart from Fraser, Mohamed Elyounoussi is another Saints player, who is currently out on loan with the reigning Scottish champions.
The Norwegian bagged seven goals and six assists from his opening 15 games before he suffered a long-term foot injury in November.
On his comeback in February, his playing time was limited but manager Neil Lennon has recently vowed to keep hold of both Saints player next season.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
