Tottenham have been thwarted by the Premier League in their attempts to lure Ben Foster out of retirement as they look to find cover for second choice goalkeeper Fraser Forster following injury to Hugo Lloris.
The World Cup winner and Spurs captain suffered a knee injury in the dying stages of Spurs’ 1-0 home win over Premier League champions Manchester City that will see him sidelined for between six to eight weeks, and leaves only backup goalkeeper Forster as a senior option among the Tottenham ranks.
He did little to inspire confidence against Leicester City either, conceding four goals from an expected goals of just 1.8, including two from outside the box.
And the Lilywhites had been moving to provide further cover in that area, contacting Ben Foster over a potential move to bring the former Manchester United, Watford and Stoke City goalkeeper on a short term contract, just months after the 39-year-old had announced his retirement at the end of last season.
Football goalkeeper Ben Foster of Watford FC 2A1XY4M Football goalkeeper Ben Foster of Watford FC (Alamy Stock Photo)
However, they have been thwarted, with the Daily Mail reporting that any move for a short-term addition outside of the transfer window ‘will not be cleared by the Premier League under their current rules’, leaving Spurs with only Brandon Austin as an alternative to veteran Forster.
Tottenham face a tricky trip to San Siro to take on AC Milan on Tuesday, and Lloris is by no means their only injury concern. Rodrigo Bentancur, who has been a revelation in Antonio Conte’s midfield ranks since his arrival 12 months ago, has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury, while Ryan Sessegnon is also expected to miss six weeks with a hamstring issue.