The looming Tottenham transfer problem Ange Postecoglou needs to fix soon

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou will require a new goalkeeper before the start of the 2025/26 season in order to challenge Guglielmo Vicario and it raises an old problem.

Spurs have got themselves into a familiar situation with their goalkeepers and it's one that previous managers have had to contend with. The north London club have always had a clear number one, which was previously Hugo Lloris and is now Vicario, and then they recruit an older back-up goalkeeper towards the end of his career.

Beyond that are academy goalkeepers who rarely if ever get a look in during competitive matches. The current 25-year-old academy products in Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman have held those back positions for a long time, other than the odd loan spell abroad.

Vicario's back-up currently is Fraser Forster. The 36-year-old penned a new contract last season, which comes to an end this summer. The former England international is a positive character behind the scenes with plenty of experience, but is not the perfect fit for Postecoglou's high line without the speed to rush out too far.

His performances this season have been mixed. In the Carabao Cup at Coventry Forster was perhaps understandably shaky in his first game back after months out with a fractured foot. Then he impressed against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last month.

On Thursday night in the same competition, Forster had a mixed match at Galatasaray. He deserves credit for keeping the 3-2 scoreline down as the hosts had 28 shots, with 10 on target. He denied Victor Osimhen a couple of times with quick, low saves in one-vs-one duels, and then showed great reflexes to bat away a rocket of a volley from Yunus Akgun.

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However, the downside to Forster's game was some shaky moments, including dropping one cross in his box and being bailed out by Rodrigo Bentancur blocking the resulting shot on his goal line. He also palmed a couple of saves back into his own six-yard box with others having to mop up for him. Forster was also slow to get out on a couple of occasions and his kicking was inconsistent, sometimes excellent and fast under pressure and in other moments wayward and nervy.

Postecoglou appreciates what Forster brings behind the scenes and his experience on the pitch, but it remains to be seen whether he will be offered a new contract beyond his current one. If he does, it could well be to drop down to a third choice role to help mentor a young new goalkeeper who will challenge Vicario.

With Austin signing a new five-year deal at the end of last season, it looked like he might step up during this campaign to play a bigger role but that has not been the case. Whiteman's deal, like Forster's, currently comes to an end this summer.

Tottenham are more than likely to sign a new goalkeeper in the summer to provide competition for Vicario, perhaps moving in January if the opportunity is there.

The problem that remains for them are the Europa League squad rules, which will not allow for much change in that competition unless players head out the door, with Djed Spence also waiting for his chance to come into the squad.

Spurs have got themselves into a situation where Austin and Whiteman are the only two club-trained players eligible for the four spots in the Europa League squad so they are having to leave two open spaces in what is meant to be a 25-man group.

That is another hurdle Postecoglou must negotiate as Tottenham need a new goalkeeper to challenge Vicario in the seasons ahead.

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