Pep Guardiola has Manchester City right where he wants them at the moment and is preparing further changes to his line-up for the coming days. But as Guardiola looks to improve the quality of his club in various areas, his sights now appear firmly set on the goalkeeper position and a situation that will be disappointing for Joe Hart.
After a shaky yet successful first match in the English Premier League, City looked dominant on Tuesday in a 5-0 thrashing of Romanian side Steaua Bucuresti in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifier.
On the bench for the start of the Premier League campaign, reports now suggest that Barcelona’s Claudio Bravo is due to arrive in Manchester as Guardiola’s new favoured first-team goalkeeper leaving Hart surplus to requirements at the Etihad Stadium.
Fresh from his Copa America Centenario triumph with Chile over the summer and a fine performance in helping Barcelona lift another Spanish Super Cup this week, Bravo is seen by Guardiola to be a significant upgrade in the crucial position.
After 10 years, over 350 appearances, 2 Premier League titles, 2 League Cups and one FA Cup, Joe Hart appears to be ready to move on from Manchester City. Whether on loan or a permanent transfer, the 29-year-old English international is expected to join a new club before the transfer window closes in eight days.
Here, we look at three possible destinations for Hart and what he can bring to a new environment.
Everton
The most likely destination for Hart seems to be at Goodison Park, as new manager Ronald Koeman seems eager to bring him to Everton.
With club legend Tim Howard moving to the Colorado Rapids over the summer, the stage seemed set for Joel Robles to officially take over as the Toffees’ number-one keeper, but the possibility of adding a proven Premier League commodity in Hart may be too tempting for Everton to pass up.
With the transfer of winger Yannick Bolasie completed earlier in the week, a strong squad could find themselves with yet another quality addition soon.
Liverpool
The sometimes bewildering form of incumbent Simon Mignolet, a preseason injury to new signing Loris Karius, and a good old-fashioned Merseyside rivalry could all add up to Reds manager Jurgen Klopp making a move for Joe Hart.
The main issue at hand for both Liverpool and Everton would be taking on Hart’s reported salary of £140,000 a week, a wage few outside of the City Football Group would be willing to pay.
Sevilla FC
The reigning Europa League champions Sevilla have had a difficult start to the 2016-17 season, dropping both the UEFA Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup to fellow La Liga clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona. While there is certainly no shame in losing to two of the best teams in the world, their inability to hold their defensive shape and stop goal-scoring opportunities was worrisome.
New manager Jorge Sampaoli may find that the transfer of Joe Hart can supply the team with a quality goalkeeper and provide a significant morale boost ahead of the La Liga season.
For the right price, of course.