Forster not for sale – Newcastle

Forster spent last season on loan at Celtic from Newcastle

Newcastle United have told Celtic that Fraser Forster is not for sale after the Scottish Premier League club tabled a bid of £1.5m for the goalkeeper.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon has confirmed he has made an approach for the 23-year-old, who spent last season on loan in Glasgow.

And he remains hopeful of persuading the Barclays Premier League club to part with the goalkeeper.

Forster made 44 appearances for Celtic as they finished runners-up last term.

United manager Alan Pardew last month cast doubt on the benefits for the player of another loan spell in SPL.

“We’ve been disappointed with the quality of the games, other than the occasional Rangers versus Celtic game, and even some of those have been poor,” he was quoted as saying.

Forster managed 24 clean-sheets during the course of a campaign that ended with victory in the Scottish Cup final against Motherwell at Hampden.

Lennon sees him as the man to continue in the Celtic goal when they kick-off their new season away to Hibernian.