Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster is heading towards the expiration of his contract at St. Mary's and could leave on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.

The shot-stopper's current deal expires in 2022 and should he not sign a new deal, he will leave the club after eight years on the south coast, having joined from Scottish giants Celtic in 2014.

He is currently playing second fiddle to Alex McCarthy at Southampton, a role he has filled for the last few years at the club. McCarthy has started 25 or more Premier League games in each of the last three seasons, showing that he has been the first-choice for the majority of the time in those campaigns.

This came after Forster had been a regular for the Saints for four seasons, including the 2016/17 campaign when he featured in all 38 Premier League games. In the summer of 2018, after he played 20 times in the league the previous season, Forster was valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt.

Forster's value then proceeded to drop off a cliff, as did his Southampton form. In the 2018/19 season, the Englishman played just four games in all competitions, twice in the Premier League, as the Saints brought in Angus Gunn from Manchester City - he played 12 league matches and competed with McCarthy for the number one spot.

Celtic then re-signed Forster on a season-long loan for the 2019/20 season and he enjoyed a solid spell with his former club. He kept 14 clean sheets in 28 Scottish Premiership games and returned to Southampton ready to challenge for his place in the side again.

However, he went on to play just eight Premier League games last term as McCarthy, once again, prevented him from being the number one. Forster was unable to recapture his early Southampton form, despite a full season playing for Celtic, and that is what has led to him currently being a back-up.

Forster's value now stands at £2.7m according to Transfermarkt. This means that his price has plummeted by 80% since he lost his place as the number one at St. Mary's in 2018. He has fallen off a cliff in terms of his appearances on the pitch and there have been no signs that his situation will change any time soon.

McCarthy has only conceded one goal in his last three Premier League matches and remains Hasenhuttl's go-to between the sticks. This means that Forster's best route to getting regular game time could be to leave in January or depart on a free transfer at the end of the season.

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