FORMER Celtic striker Chris Sutton has called on his old side to beat off the competition and sign Fraser Forster.

The Saints goalkeeper spent the season on loan with the Scottish side and is manager Neil Lennon's top transfer target.

But reports emerged suggesting both Arsenal and Chelsea were keen on adding Forster to their squads.

Despite this, Sutton reckons the shot-stopper would be making a mistake if he were to snub Celtic in favour of a top-four Premier League side.

“Forster is wanted by clubs in England and there is talk of him being a target for a top-four outfit, but there’s no way he’d be replacing the guys between the sticks at those clubs," Sutton told the Daily Record.

“He’d be a back-up keeper and, having wasted almost two years of his career on a bench at Southampton, does he really need to be doing that again at this stage of his life?

“Forster is hardly going to tell his grandkids about the day he was wearing a trackie while getting a Champions League medal. Or tell them about the save me made against Stoke’s Under-23 side on a Tuesday night.

“Big games and big pressure at Celtic brings out the best in him and he’ll sign if Celtic stump up the goods. I’m sure of it.”