With a deal for Ederson already wrapped up, one thing is almost certain that Joe Hart’s future lies away from Manchester City. Once a unanimous choice, he was forced to leave the Etihad Stadium last season as Pep Guardiola’s demand for a ball playing keeper led to the arrival of Claudio Bravo.
Hart was shipped to Italy as Torino showed interest in the England no.1. Hart should have used this opportunity to reignite his City career with a strong season but instead of putting himself in the driver’s seat, the England international’s form has gone down significantly giving Guardiola a very strong reason to offload him.
Despite his mistakes, Hart has been still in demand and remains the preferred choice for Gareth Southgate. But he has to find proper first team football keeping in mind the World Cup next year. With his current form, he is unlikely to join a high profile club and he might have to take a significant pay cut to prove his credentials.
West Ham United
Hart needs a strong platform to prove his mettle and Slaven Bilic could give him the perfect opportunity. The Hammers boss has been searching an experienced shot-stopper for the upcoming season and Hart surely could be an ideal signing for them.
The Hammers have struggled throughout the season as both Adrian and Darren Randolph have had their difficulties. West Ham renewed Adrian’s stay but after observing his performance in the last season, Bilic is adamant to sort out the keeping situation. The keeper has been linked heavily with the club as they were ready to take the player on loan with an option to buy him.
Everton
Ronald Koeman has been very busy sorting his transfer options since the season ended. Both Joel Robles and Maarten Stekelenburg had their fair share of chances and did their duties pretty decently though they were inconsistent.
Despite having two strong pairs of hands, Koeman wants an upgrade on these two keepers. Hart has two Premier League medals in his tally and he can ably help Koeman in fulfilling his desire next season. And he can be the ideal mentor to Pickford.
Liverpool
After having a stuttering start with Loris Karius in the goal, Jurgen Klopp shifted to Simon Mignolet in the latter half of the season. Barring a few mistakes, Mignolet did a decent job and Klopp seemed to be very happy with his performance. But with Liverpool aiming for a much higher target next season, Klopp’s decision of keeping Mignolet as the preferred choice could prove to be costly.
Therefore a move for Hart makes sense. He is far better keeper than both these current Reds keepers on any day and would give Klopp a matter of confidence at the back in the next season.
