Pep Guardiola’s arrival in Manchester was warmly welcomed by most at the Etihad Stadium, however one man who has certainly not enjoyed the Spaniards start to life in English football is Joe Hart.
England’s No.1 goalkeeper has now completed a loan move to Italian side Torino having been demoted to the bench under the leadership of the former Barcelona and Bayern man. In a bid to keep hold of his place in new England manager Sam Allardyce’s starting eleven, Hart has now chosen to head abroad after spending over ten years with City.
Hart joined his fellow international team mates at St George’s Park earlier this week, and was granted permission to travel to Italy in order to complete his loan deal before Wednesday night’s transfer deadline.
Bookmakers Betway had earlier in the week had Italian giants Napoli as the favourites to sign Hart in their football betting market, however Torino moved in quickly to seal Hart’s signing on a season-long loan.
The signing of Claudio Bravo from Barcelona meant that Hart faced the prospect of dropping to third in the pecking order at the Etihad, and was given a warm reception in what could well have been his last appearance for City in their Champions League qualifier against Steaua Bucharest last week.
Hart’s England team mate Jack Wilshere finds himself in a similar position, with the midfielder reportedly available for a loan move before the transfer window closes.
The 24-year-old has struggled with injuries throughout his career at the Emirates, and the arrival of Granit Xhaka has lengthened his chances of playing time for Arsene Wenger’s side. Premier League clubs Southampton and Everton are currently the favourites with Betway to sign the England man, with a move elsewhere in Europe also an option.
With just two days remaining for clubs to add to their playing squads, spending by Premier League teams is likely to reach record heights this summer. The likes of Chelsea, Everton and Champions Leicester City are all likely to be busy in the transfer market, with spending set to go over the £1 billion mark.