Manchester City are shopping Joe Hart around, but the club are having difficulty finding a buyer for the England international.
Hart spent last season on loan at Serie A side Torino after Pep Guardiola made it very apparent the England No. 1 had no future at the Etihad. Hart’s time in Italy wasn’t the sterling success that many of his fans had hoped for when he made the surprise jump to Turin’s second team. Hart averaged 2.9 saves per match, but his Torino team finished a disappointing ninth. Torino gave up the fourth most goals in Serie A as the club failed to fulfil preseason expectations for challenging for the league’s top five. Individually, Hart gave up the third most goals of Serie A goalkeepers with 62.
Hart is currently valued at just over £11 million and few teams are interested in purchasing the shot stopper following such a poor showing in Serie A. More than a possible transfer fee, teams are being put off by Hart’s large salary in relation to on field performance. The Englishman earns £110,000-a-week and is only in the second year of a three year deal. It will be difficult for Manchester City to find many teams willing to pay Hart £5.2m a season.
Manchester City have already made new signings this summer, including new goalkeeper Ederson, and more are on the way. The club have released a several players this summer, and Hart looks like the only one the club are still trying to get rid of. Several teams have been linked with signing Hart, but those clubs may still be put off by his wages unless the goalkeeper agrees to a wage cut.
Teams linked with Joe Hart:
- West Ham are one of the sides being linked with a move for Hart. The club do not have a clear No. 1, and Hart – on paper – would improve the side.
- Liverpool have been rumoured to be a destination for Hart since the summer of 2016. But Jurgen Klopp has made do with Simon Mignolet. Moving for Hart now doesn’t seem as likely as it did 12 months ago.
- English media has tied Arsenal to a move for Hart. Again, this looks unlikely as the club have Petr Cech as their No. 1. In addition, would Manchester City really sell their goalkeeper to a major rival?
- Crystal Palace could definitely upgrade their goalkeeper position with Hart, but Wayne Hennessey has done enough to keep him in the job.
If Hart leaves Manchester City for another Premier League team, it seems more likely he would play for a side without much shot at a top six finish. A move to a team like Stoke City, Watford or the previously mentioned West Ham makes sense if they can pony up the money to sign him.
Joe Hart 2016-17 key stats:
- 2.9 saves per match
- 1.1 clearances per match
- 5 clean sheets in Serie A
- 62 goals allowed (third most in Serie A)
