HART JOINS TORINO ON LOAN

  • Posted on: 8 September 2016

England international Joe Hart has moved to Italian club Torino on a loan deal, BBC Sport reports. England Football Association gave the former Manchester City number 1 permission to fly to Italy for a medical to complete the process.

Serie A side Torino confirmed the deal through a statement on the club’s official website: “Signing Joe Hart is a source of great satisfaction.” Hart could feature for Torino after the international break on September 11 in their next game at Atalanta.

Hart had to take permission from the Football Association as he has been named in the squad set to play in the World Cup qualifier. After his medical examination, he is poised to return to the English set-up ahead of Sunday’s clash with Slovakia in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. He was told by new Man City manager Pep Guardiola that he was free to leave the club after bringing a new goalkeeper Claudio Bravo from Barcelona. After the deal, Hart said: “I am convinced I can still learn a lot at Torino.”

The BBC report claims the Man City officials “vowed to help Hart” get a club as the transfer window was fast approaching a deadline so he could retain his spot in England after losing it at the club. Man City would be contributing a part of Hart’s wages. He is set to contribute to Torino’s Serie A efforts. They place seventh currently in the Serie A, as they have garnered three points from two games this term. Whilst the questions surrounding the strength of the squad will remain, hopefully performances will improve, and Hart will find himself back as the undisputed number 1 at a top English club soon. WHilst there is a certain inevitability to asking how does weather affect tennis (you already know the answer), asking how Hart can make an impact and become one of the World's best is another thing entirely.

Aside Hart, Samir Nasri and Wilfried Bony have been released on loan to different clubs ahead of the transfer deadline. Nasri moved to Spanish side Sevilla, while Bony joined Stoke City. Eliaquim Mangala is reported to be set to move to Valencia, but the deal has not been confirmed.