Manchester United are reportedly eyeing a shock summer move for Joe Hart, with the aim of making the Manchester City stopper a backup option to David De Gea.
The Sun are speculating a shock deal on the cards between Manchester United and Manchester City. The Red Devils are reportedly looking to bring in City outcast Joe Hart in a shock deal, with the aim of making the England international the new deputy to first-choice David De Gea.
Joe Hart’s Manchester City career had been exemplary before the arrival of Manuel Pellegrini. While there were some scares for the stopper under the Chilean, Pep Guardiola’s entry saw the English international being labelled as an outcast and sent on a season-long loan to West Ham United.
But, Joe Hart saw starts hard to come by even at the London outfit and when he did, his performances did not justify his inclusion. The Manchester City stopper ended the season at West Ham with just 4 shutouts in 19 league appearances, conceding a massive 39 goals.
With West Ham choosing not to retain the Englishman beyond the summer, Joe Hart’s future is up in the air, with the star set to return to Manchester City – a club where he is clearly not wanted. There were reports of one or more of the newly promoted sides eyeing a deal for the goalkeeper. But, Manchester United might present an interesting option.
At Old Trafford, Sergio Romero is likely to leave in the summer in search of first-team football while academy graduates Dean Henderson and Sam Johnstone are also being tipped to exit the club on a permanent basis, potentially leaving just Joel Castro Pereira as the viable option beyond David De Gea, with Matej Kovar likely to either be exposed to Under-23 football or sent out on loan to gain first-team experience.
Manchester United are, thus, looking at options to be the new backup to David De Gea, with Hart one of the three names under consideration. Craig Gordon is being linked as well while Ben Foster is also being considered for a return to Old Trafford.
Foster will be an interesting option, with West Bromwich Albion suffering relegation. But, Hart will be an equally accessible target, with Manchester City likely to be anxious to get the Englishman off their books.
The move might come down to Sergio Romero’s potential departure and Joe Hart’s willingness to join the cross-city rivals, especially with the stopper coming through the Manchester City academy setup and being one of the main pillars around whom the title-winning 2011-12 and 2013-14 squads were built.
