Everton started life under their new manager Ronald Koeman on a real positive note. The Toffees started the season very well under the experienced Dutch manager but their happiness did not last long. The Blue half of Merseyside have won just one of their last eight Premier League games after staying unbeaten in the first five games and now sit seventh in the table with just 18 points. They will lock horns with Manchester United on Sunday and things could turn even more somber if they don’t pick up their form.
The rumour mill is suggesting that Everton boss Koeman has already started planning for the January transfer window and reports indicate a new goalkeeper is on his wishlist.
The Daily Mirror claims that Southampton keeper Fraser Forster is his number one target in January. Koeman worked with the English international formerly at Southampton and in fact, he was the one who brought him to the South Coast club.
Forster is truly a giant in every possible sense. Well, most keepers in the world are tall but Forster’s frame of 6’7″ is so big that can make the strikers shiver in front of goal. The 28-year-old English international comes with plenty of experience at the top level, too. He has played 197 games for Celtic and 74 for Southampton at the top level and has been consistent throughout.
Forster’s record at Celtic is crazy good. In 197 games for the Hoops, he was beaten just 157 times claiming 101 clean sheets in the process. He has also played a key role in Southampton’s progress in the last couple of seasons.
In 74 appearances for the Saints, he has conceded just 61 times, keeping 30 clean sheets. A graduate of Newcastle United’s youth academy, Forster was shipped out on loan for a few years before he got a regular first-team place at Celtic and since then, he never had to look back.
Despite his large build, Forster has a high level of agility. In one-on-situations, he appears to make his already large stature even bigger to an onrushing opponent. The Englishman also distributes the ball really well. There is a sense of confidence whenever Forster gets the ball at his feet, something not every keeper possesses. He is also a commanding keeper who can organise the backline well and dominates opposition players during set-pieces.
However, despite Everton having Koeman, whom Forster knows closely, the fact is that Goodison Park won’t be that much of an upgrade over Southampton. The Saints have been much better than the Toffees of late and getting him in January will be close to impossible. If Everton can really pull this deal off, that will be a major statement of intent from them.
