Torino are inching closer to completing a move for Joe Hart, with the Englishman arriving in Italy to finalise a loan deal on Tuesday, according to the Telegraph. The goalkeeper has fallen to third-choice under Pep Guardiola, and looks set to leave to ensure he remains England number one following the appointment of Sam Allardyce.
Despite being first-choice at City for the last six years – and winning the Golden Glove in four of those – Hart was dropped by Guardiola for the season opener against Sunderland, and has so far played only one game, against Steaua Bucharest. This is a result of a lack of confidence in Hart’s ability with his feet, an important trait in a goalkeeper in Pep’s teams.
Claudio Bravo has now been signed from Barcelona, paving the way for Hart to finalise a move away, with Torino his destination. A number of English clubs, including Sunderland and Everton have been linked, but he seems set for the Serie A club. They finished 12th in the Italian top flight last year, and will be hoping to improve on that with one of the Premier League’s highest-rated goalkeepers.
The Blues will pay around £85,000 of Hart’s £135,000 per week wage packet, with Torino footing the rest of the bill. This seemed a prerequisite for any potential buyer, with many of those interested lacking the funds to pay a larger portion of his salary.
Hart was named in Sam Allardyce’s first squad as England manager, for a friendly against Slovakia, but has grounds to be nervous should he continue not to play, as would be the case were he to remain in Manchester. Moving to Torino and playing regularly improves his chances of keeping his place between the sticks at Wembley.
The goalkeeper will be one of few outgoings from City this summer, with Martin Demichelis and Richard Wright having departed on free transfers at the start of the window. However, Samir Nasri could join Hart in leaving before the deadline, as both Besiktas and Sevilla continue to chase him despite Pep telling the French midfielder he can stay at City.
