West Ham United have slowly but surely turned up their level of performances, winning five of their last seven league outings. Obviously, they didn’t have an elusive and eventful first half of the season but are pulling the strings quite well of late to edge out a decent finish come the end of the season. Although they are nowhere near to what they aspire to be, it would be unfair to question their intent, particularly after the deals they have mustered in the ongoing transfer window.
The Hammers have already added a couple of sensational talents in the shape of Jose Fonte and Robert Snodgrass, though gaffer Slaven Bilic is still very keen to catch one or two big fishes before the window shuts down. Reportedly, one of the latest surprising names to have been linked with a move to the London Stadium with less than 24 hours to go is that of Joe Hart.
The Manchester City goalkeeper, who is currently entrusted with the gloves at Torino after having been sent on loan, is believed to have caught Bilic’s attention who wants to bolster his defence with a renowned goalkeeper.
Bilic has been rotating between Darren Randolph and Adrian in goal, but they been massively punching below their weight by being mediocre more often than not. More than anything else, he does need stability and apparently, he is set to opt for a cautious approach to bring exactly that between the sticks by laying his hands on a proven Premier League veteran in the shape of Hart.
When Pep Guardiola’s reign kicked in at the Etihad Stadium, the football fraternity was baffled to see Manchester City’s perennial no.1 being shipped far away to Torino on loan to ‘prove his credentials’. I’d leave it to you to decipher how Claudio Bravo has been for the Sky Blues.
The 29-year-old goalie has been pretty stable for Torino in Serie A, registering 5 clean sheets and making 55 saves this season in his 20 appearances. His reflexes while shot stopping have improved, so has his ability in distributing the ball. Frankly speaking, Hart left in controversial circumstances and still has some unfinished business left to be concluded in the Premier League.
The Englishman’s pedigree is simply outstanding and if West Ham United can successfully add him to their squad, it would certainly enhance their chances of finishing higher up in the league table.
Statistics: Squawka
