Sunderland keen on Championship ‘keeper replacement
After his loan spell at Hawthorns is up, Sunderland have emerged as potential candidates to make a summer move for Ben Foster.
The former England international has spent the 2011-12 campaign on loan at West Brom after the financial situation at parent club, Birmingham City, became unstable due to the Hong Kong trial of owner Carson Yeung.
Sunderland are supposedly preparing for the summer exit of Craig Gordon, whose contract at the Stadium of Light will expire at the end of this season.
Arsenal and Celtic are just two of the sides who are known to have shown interest in the Scot and should their stopper choose to leave the club, Martin O’Neill may require reinforcements.
Gordon has experienced huge knee problems after having surgery last April and is only just returning to full fitness, featuring in several reserves games.
The Black Cats already signed Kieran Westwood last summer as backup for the injured Gordon but would consider a move for Foster, should he become available.
It helps that the 28 year-old’s contract at St. Andrews will expire in July 2013, meaning that the Championship outfit may consider cashing in on their stopper.
Should Foster complete a move back to the English top flight, his signature would be expected to cost around £4.5m; a small amount more than he moved to Birmingham for in 2010.
