While the team's form has taken a slight hit recently, it's been a great season to be a Tottenham Hotspur fan this year.
Ange Postecoglou has taken a side that looked destined to struggle following the disaster of 2022/23 and made them one of the most dynamic teams in the country.
This transformation was undeniably helped by a summer that saw some brilliant signings, such as James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario and Micky van de Ven.
Daniel Levy and Co look to have got the incomings fairly spot on recently, although there is one fringe player who is costing the club something of a fortune at present, raking in a wage that is hard to justify.
Fraser Forster's salary at Spurs
The man in question is the six-capped Englishman Fraser Forster, who joined Spurs in June 2022 after his contract with then-fellow Premier League side Southampton expired.
Now, the fact he was signed for free is certainly a bonus. After all, he's a keeper with bags of experience from his time with Celtic and the Saints.
However, he joined off the back of a season in which he had made just 24 appearances across all competitions on the south coast, so the fact he was offered a £75k-per-week contract in north London was baffling.
In his defence, the 6 foot 7 titan earned his way last season, making 20 appearances across all competitions for the Lilywhites when Hugo Lloris was out injured – he also kept six clean sheets.
That said, this season, he's made just one appearance for Postecoglou, which came in the side's first defeat, their League Cup tie against Fulham, for which football.london's Rob Guest awarded him a 6/10 for his display.
In all, considering the 90 weeks he has been a Spurs player, he has cost the club around £6.7m, or around £319k per performance, which is only set to increase as Vicario seemingly goes from strength to strength.
Fraser Forster's compared to Spurs squad
Now, while Forster's minimal game already makes his wage hard to justify, the wages of his fellow teammates make it seem even more outlandish.
Player
Wage
Fraser Forster
£75k
Guglielmo Vicario
£75k
Destiny Udogie
£75k
Rodrigo Bentancur
£75k
Micky van de Ven
£50k
For example, the "immense" Van De Ven – as described by pundit Rio Ferdinand – has arguably been one of the best defenders in the entire league this season, yet is currently on a wage of just £50k-per-week, 50% less than Forster.
Equally, the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Destiny Udogie and Vicario are all on the same wage as the veteran goalkeeper, despite being far more integral members of the team.
It isn't just through comparisons with Forster's teammates that his wages begin to look crazy, though, as in contrast to some of the other backup goalkeepers around the Premier League, the 35-year-old is making a killing.
Player
Club
Wage
Fraser Forster
Tottenham Hotspur
£75k
Stefan Ortega
Manchester City
£55k
Tom Heaton
Manchester United
£45k
Altay Bayindir
Manchester United
£35k
Djordje Petrovic
Chelsea
£25k
Caoimhin Kelleher
Liverpool
£10k
For example, Manchester United's Tom Heaton and Altay Bayindir earn £45k-per-week and £35k-per-week respectively, Chelsea's backup turned first choice keeper Djordje Petrovic earns £25k-per-week and Liverpool pay Caoimhin Kelleher £10k-per-week.
Spurs struck gold with "special" Conte signing who's worth more than Son
The dynamic star has been on fire for the Lilywhites this season.
ByJack Salveson Holmes
Ultimately, there is no denying that Spurs are currently spending a lot of money on Forster, and while he's a totally serviceable backup keeper, it does seem unusual to pay a player who likely won't play again this season more than one of the team's essential starters.
