According to reports in the Scottish Sun and wider media outlets, Southampton may be ready to use Fraser Forster as part of a deal that would see them prize Olivier Ntcham away from Celtic.
The south coast club have been heavily linked with Celtic’s Ntcham throughout the summer. The Frenchman has not been a regular for the Hoops, despite possessing undoubted ability, but the Saints clearly feel there is something they can extract from the midfielder’s talent, especially with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg linked with a move away from St Mary’s this season.
It’s understood that Celtic are not against selling Ntcham, who is on record as stating that he wants to play in a higher standard of football. However, the Bhoys won’t let him go on the cheap and as such, Southampton are expected to offer Fraser Forster as part of any deal that gets made.
A potential factor that could hinder Southampton’s chances of the switch could be Forster’s wage demands, with Celtic having to agree to pay more than the £15,000-per-week they negotiated when loaning the keeper last term. Forster is allegedly on upwards of £60,000-per-week at present, which would need to be dramatically cut should he move north of the border.
The new Scottish football season kicks off on August 1, so Neil Lennon will want to bring in Forster as soon as possible. Meanwhile, many fans consider him a key to 10 in a row. If the deal is to go ahead then it is likely that a cash sum will need to accompany the player swap, given that Ntcham is in his early 20s, whereas Forster has limited sell on value at the age of 32.
