Tottenham squandering £2.5m+ on Fraser Forster; forced January exit could address problem
Hugo Lloris was not Ange Postecoglou’s preferred number one goalkeeper at Tottenham, therefore the manager was desperate for a new goalie ahead of the upcoming season.
Many people were surprised when Guglielmo Vicario joined from Empoli for £17.2 million [Sky Sports, 27 June].
Since then, neither player nor club has looked back, with the Italy international excelling between the posts in North London.
With his arrival, Fraser Forster was demoted to the role of deputy once more, having previously served in that capacity under Lloris.
Forster has only made one appearance in all competitions this season, in the League Cup defeat to Fulham in August.
Since then, he has sat on the bench, consuming valuable salary that could have been spent on more effective players.
According to The Sun (13 January), Forster’s weekly wage at Tottenham is £66,890, with an annual salary of £3.48 million.
Last season, the goalie saw plenty of action and earned his money, but that is not the case this season, with the club likely to spend more than £2.5 million on Forster alone.
With Tottenham out of the League Cup and Vicario continuing to impress as the starting goalkeeper, the goalkeeper situation is expected to remain unchanged until the end of the season.
That is when Forster’s contract expires [Transfermarkt], with the player expected to end his current agreement and leave North London.
With Brandon Austin as a backup goalkeeper option, Tottenham may free up salaries as early as next month by doing everything possible to get away of Forster during the January transfer window.
Given his age and recent lack of game experience, it will not be easy, but there is a long list of clubs that could do a lot worse than starting with the former Southampton goalkeeper.
In other Tottenham news, Postecoglou has a perfect Harry Kane substitute right in front of his eyes, and the player might save the club millions of dollars.
