According to Portuguese outlet Record, Manchester City could agree a deal with Sporting CP for goalkeeper Joe Hart who ‘desires to leave England’.
The 31-year-old appears to have no future at the Etihad Stadium after being cast aside by manager Pep Guardiola, and Sporting are hoping to capitalise on the situation.
Hart joined City from Shrewsbury in 2006 and has gone on to make 348 appearances in all competitions, keeping an impressive 137 clean sheets.
He won two Premier League titles (2011/12 and 2013/14), two League Cups (2013/14 and 2015/16) and one FA Cup (2010/11) during his 12 years in Manchester but could have a new home in the coming weeks.
He’s spent the last two years on loan at Torino (2016/17) and West Ham United (2017/18), with his last City appearance being all the way back in August 2016 – versus FCS Bucharest in the Champions League qualifiers.
The 31-year-old has another 12 months on his contract with the Sky Blues but is likely to be behind Ederson and Claudio Bravo in the goalkeeper pecking order next season which is likely why he’s keen to leave.
Sporting want to bring Hart to the Estádio José Alvalade and want him to return to form so he can get back in the England side after being axed from the World Cup squad by manager Gareth Southgate – Jordan Pickford (Everton), Jack Butland (Stoke City) and Nick Pope (Burnley) instead got the nod.
City won’t stand in Hart’s way if he wants to leave this summer as they should get some money for his sale, rather than if they let him run down his contract and leave for free next year.
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