According to Daily Mail, Burnley have made an enquiry about signing Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster. Nick Pope suffered an injury to his left shoulder in a nasty collision against Aberdeen in the first leg of the Europa League second qualifying round tie at Pittodrie.
And now, manager Sean Dyche must sign a backup for Pope as his dislocated shoulder could sideline him for six months.
Southampton have already signed Angus Gunn from Manchester City as cover for Alex McCarthy. McCarthy replaced Forster between the sticks for the Saints at the turn of the year, following a series of mistakes from the 30-year-old. Hence, signing him would certainly result in a win-win situation for all parties involved.
Saints manager Mark Hughes must definitely consider sanctioning Forster’s move away from St Mary’s Stadium, either permanently or on loan. The England international, who has been capped six times, would have to compete with the likes of McCarthy, Gunn and young prospect Harry Lewis for the No. 1 spot in the south coast.
Ex-Celtic stopper Forster has four years left on his current contract. However, since he has previously played in Europe, he could be a vital addition to Burnley. He has made over 40 appearances in the Champions League, Europa League, and the qualifying rounds. His vast experience could help Burnley to a great extent, especially since they were last season’s surprise package.
Playing behind a well-drilled Burnley defence could see Forster work wonders. After all, he is an extremely agile player and the transfer will allow him to regain his lost confidence. He is an excellent penalty-saver with impressive concentration levels.
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However, he can still improve while dealing with crosses and his work with the ball at his feet. He averaged a 43% pass success rate from 20 league games last season. With his unique blend of experience, skills, power and potential, Forster could be the ideal stop-gap solution for Burnley at this stage.
Once Pope returns from his injury, he would continue playing as the No.1. Hence, signing Forster on a loan deal could turn out to be a shrewd move by Burnley.
