What will Fraser Forster bring to Tottenham?

The announcement of Fraser Forster is a welcome sight to Tottenham fans, as the English shot-stopper becomes the second addition this summer at N17. But what exactly will Forster bring to North London?

Following Pierligui Gollini’s return to Atalanta, Forster replaces the Italian as a backup to captain Hugo Lloris, as the Frenchman is the undisputed number one.

Traditionally, akin to most other sides, Spurs are reluctant to spend big on a second-choice keeper, so bringing in Forster on a free represents real value with little downside.

A reliable second-choice keeper is a must-have for any top side, as if Lloris were to sustain an injury, Forster would temporarily become the man between the sticks.

Fortunately, he joins Tottenham with a wealth of experience, appearing over 300 times in the Scottish and English top flights, playing Champions League football during his time at Celtic, and even being capped for England on six occasions.

Despite being the intended number two last season, injuries to Alex McCarthy saw Forster start 19 times for Southampton in 2020/21, providing solid cover for his fellow countryman.

In this time, Forster made 68 saves, boasting a respectable save percentage of 66%, even keeping three clean sheets. Furthermore, he started in six of Southampton’s nine league victories last campaign, demonstrating his reliability to the side.

With his contract expired at Southampton, similar to Joe Hart back in 2020, Forster arrives in North London on a free, putting pen to paper on a two-year deal.

At 34, alongside Hugo Lloris, Forster is now approaching the twilight of his career, perhaps hinting at this deal’s only potential downside.

Unfortunately, Lloris’ days at Tottenham are sadly numbered despite looking as sharp as ever. His age lends credence to the argument that rather than Forster, it may have been wise to sign a potential Lloris successor, offering a rotation role and schooling from the Frenchman as an incentive to a younger keeper.

While this may have been an opportunity to futureproof the team, on the flip side, it would have come at a cost. With the squad needing noticeable upgrades and reinforcements elsewhere, Lloris’s successor will be a job for the following summer.

Replacing Gollini with Forster, an Italian for an Englishman helps fill Tottenham’s homegrown quota, freeing up space for another foreign player.

With a busy window coming, having as much leeway in the market as possible will be crucial for Conte. Therefore filling a homegrown spot with Forster allows for minimal restraints on this summer’s business whilst simultaneously adding a top professional to the dressing room.

The announcement of Forster makes his arrival official, owed to Fabrizio Romano; Spurs fans have been aware of his switch to Tottenham for a while.

Perhaps this or just the somewhat unexciting nature of the signing removes the usual buzz of a transfer; however, from Conte’s perspective, he represents a robust, pragmatic addition, who adds leadership like Ivan Perisic.

If Forster is called upon, Spurs fans can recall his heroic performance against us in a 1-1 draw at St Mary’s, where he made ten saves to keep his side in the game and take refuge that, above all else, the Englishman is still a fine shot-stopper.

In truth, we hopefully won’t see a great deal of Forster next season outside of the Cups. However, if he does become a prominent figure in the side, we may look back thankful that, free of charge, we have yet another vastly experienced quality goalkeeper in our ranks.