Liverpool are reportedly set to sign Joe Hart from Manchester City in a £20 million deal in the summer transfer window.
According to a report in The Sun, Joe Hart is set to move to Liverpool in the summer transfer window in a £20 million deal with Manchester City, who are set to offload the England international come June.
Hart has enjoyed a stellar career with Manchester City, lifting the Premier League trophy and League Cup twice with the club, while also winning the Golden Glove twice. However, Pep Guardiola, and subsequently Claudio Bravo’s arrival at the Etihad saw Hart go down the pecking order to third choice.
With Hart not looking likely to get much game time with City, he was shipped on loan to Torino in Serie A. And while the going certainly hasn’t been easy with the Turin-based club – Hart has conceded 49 goals in 30 Serie A games, he has still managed to turn in several impressive performances.
Meanwhile, back at City neither Bravo nor Willy Caballero have managed to impress much. Despite their inconsistent performances though, Guardiola is believed to be adamant that Hart has no future at the Etihad, while the England international has himself accepted his fate as well.
Thus, it is almost certain that Hart will end his glittering career with City in the summer, and if the latest report by The Sun is anything to go by, the 30-year-old is set to remain in England, despite some previous reports stating that any move to a Premier League club will be blocked by City.
However, the club officials have now had a change of heart, as per the report, keeping in mind Hart’s contributions for City over the years. That has put a spring in the steps of Liverpool, who are now set to sign Hart in a £20 million deal when the transfer window reopens in June.
There are quite a few gaping holes at Anfield for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. The problem of depth in his squad has been well documented, but the issues at the back have persisted for a long time now.
Goalkeeping is a department where the options have left a lot to be desired. Only West Bromwich Albion have conceded more goals than them among sides in the Top 9 of the Premier League table. In fact, Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius have managed to keep just 8 clean sheets among them in 33 games.
The duo have often been criticised for being unreliable and error prone, and it is widely believed that Klopp is eager to bolster his options between the sticks to see Liverpool sustain a Premier League title charge next season.
The report states that the Liverpool boss has earmarked Hart as the right player to add reliability in goal, and the German tactician is of the opinion that the Englishman’s experience and ability will stand the Reds in good stead.
Indeed, Hart’s record at City proves that he has been one of the most illustrious goalkeepers in the Premier League in the last few seasons, and he could bring a lot of assuredness at the back for Liverpool.
It now remains to be seen if the move indeed materialises, and if any of his previous suitors attempt to make a move for him in the summer. For now though, Hart is one step closer to a summer switch to Anfield.
