One of the biggest talking points from Manchester City’s unconvincing 2-1 win over Sunderland was Pep Guardiola’s decision to start with Willy Caballero in goal instead of the Citizens’ usual first-choice keeper Joe Hart.
England goalkeeper Joe Hart was always believed to be playing on borrowed time after it was announced that Pep Guardiola would be taking over from Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City. As far back as April, pundits including Thierry Henry had predicted that Hart had no place in Guardiola’s Man City starting XI. His future at the club looked more bleak after his poor performances at Euro 2016, where England were knocked out by Iceland at the round of 16 stage.
It didn’t take long for the predictions to come true, as the 29-year-old was replaced by Willy Caballero in City’s season opener against Sunderland. The club are now reportedly trying to sign Barcelona keeper Claudio Bravo and have told Hart that he can leave the Etihad Stadium if they sign a new No. 1. Premier League rivals Everton have emerged as one of the most interested parties alongside Europa League champions Sevilla, according to the Mirror.
The England international is valued at £14.7 million by transfermarkt.com and that would be a very agreeable price for the Toffees. The transaction would give City a neat profit for the player they bought for £100,000 from Shrewsbury Town in 2006.
Joe Hart has been a mainstay for Manchester City over the past nine seasons, making almost 350 appearances for the first team. He is one of the faces of the new era of Man City under the ownership of the wealthy City Football Group. The goalkeeper has won two Premier League titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup, and has also made 63 appearances for the England national team.
Although Hart does not fit Guardiola’s requirements for a goalkeeper who is good with his distribution, he remains a very good shot-stopper. Everton are keen to add him to their ranks as they look for the long-term successor to their erstwhile No. 1 Tim Howard. The 29-year-old would likely displace Maarten Stekelenburg from the starting lineup at Goodison Park and would be a marquee signing for the new-look Toffees under Dutch manager Ronald Koeman.