Join thousands of fans who have signed up to our Celtic newsletter. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

BENFICA are preparing a £6m move for Fraser Forster after losing keeper Jan Oblak to Atletico Madrid in a megabucks deal.

Money is no object for the Portuguese giants after banking a staggering £18m from the La Liga champions who have now ditched their interest in Celtic keeper Forster.

Atletico were considering the England squad man as a replacement for Belgian Thibaut Courtois who is returning to Chelsea after a loan spell in Spain but instead they are ready to secure rising Slovenian star Oblak.

The 21-year-old yesterday passed a medical and is poised to join Diego Simeone’s Champions League finalists.

That leaves Portuguese champions Benfica in desperate need of a new keeper and, with Atletico out the race, Forster is top of their wanted list.

The 26-year-old former Newcastle man is under contract until 2016 but Celtic have been bracing themselves for bids and new boss Ronny Deila has already snapped up ex-Scotland No.1 Craig Gordon.

Celtic last year accused Benfica of tapping up Forster and trying to unsettle him by leaking news of their interest in him. Now Benfica boss Jorge Jesus is ready to move for the Geordie who was called up by Roy Hodgson for England’s World Cup squad.

Before quitting as Celtic boss, Neil Lennon admitted the club would never hold on to Forster.

He said: “A huge club will come in and make a huge bid.”