Joe Hart close to sealing loan move to West Ham Chris Bascombe
12 JULY 2017 • 10:30PM
Joe Hart is close to sealing a season’s loan at West Ham as he seeks to reignite his career in English football.Slavan Bilic is set to give Hart the chance to return to the Premier League following his 12 month stint in Italy and talks are continuing with Manchester City to finalise a move.
Hart is free to find another club having been sidelined by Pep Guardiola. If the move to London proves successful, a deal could become permanent next summer.
Although City were initially reluctant to sanction a temporary deal, the situation has progressed over the last 24 hours.The 30-year-old keeper remains England’s number one but faces mounting competition from Fraser Forster and Jack Butland at international level. It is essential he has regular football during a World Cup year.
City want at least £20 million to make any move permanent for the goalkeeper, who spent last season on loan at Torino. He currently has two years remaining on his City contract but was overlooked last year when Guardiola preferred Willy Caballero and Claudio Bravo.Although neither of those keepers proved convincing replacements, but City have since paid £35 million to Benfica for Ederson Moraes.
Hart has been linked with several Premier League clubs since he became surplus to requirements at City. Everton were thought to be interested but instead looked to the future with the £30 million signing of Jordan Pickford.
Newcastle are also believed to have found the financial package prohibitive having registered their interest.
Speaking last season, Hart said he would keep his options open on his next move.
“I love the Premier League, if I wasn’t playing I’d still watch the Premier League, but I wouldn’t say the Premier League is top of my wish list,” he said last March.
“At the top of my wish list is to play for a club that wants me to be their goalkeeper.”
With Bilic, it now seems he has found a manager working in English football prepared to offer a fresh start.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/07/12/joe-hart-close-sealing-loan-move-west-ham/