GERMAN WOLVES IN HUNT FOR SON
Pep backing ‘ball-playing’ goalkeeper Bravo to create more chances than Hart
BRAVO v HART League games 14/15 to 16/17 70 71 6,298 6,350 586 1,119 1,055 406
43 38 157 79%
70 29 158 69% FROM BACK PAGE from Barcelona, will be brought in from the cold against Steaua Bucharest.
With City leading 5-0 going into the Champions League qualifier, second leg at the Etihad Stadium, boss Pep Guardiola has reinstated him for one game, replacing Willy Caballero (right).
But with Bravo’s move set to be confirmed today and the Chile keeper set to make his debut at home to West Ham on Sunday, tonight could be Hart’s final City appearance.
Guardiola and Hart exchanged words in training, with the City boss claiming they have a good relationship, despite him ditching the England No.1. “I have an excellent relationship with Joe,” said Guardiola. “He’s clear with me and me with him. “He has a chance to play, the same as all the other ones.” Asked if tonight would be Hart’s last game for City, Guardiola said: “I don’t know. I’ve said many times he’s our player. Until the 31st of this month, all the players here are our players.” Bravo arrived in Manchester last night (right) to complete his move, although Guardiola remained coy on the deal. “I cannot deny what everyone knows,” he added. “Barcelona were the first ones to announce the contact with Manchester City. In this moment he’s not our player.”
PEP GUARDIOLA has revealed why he has moved to sign Barcelona keeper Claudio Bravo and ditched former Manchester City No.1 Joe Hart.
Bravo arrived in Manchester from Barcelona last night to undergo a medical ahead of his £17.4million switch on a threeyear deal.
Hart has been demoted to the bench for City’s first three games of the season and has been relegated to third-choice behind Bravo and Willy Caballero.
Guardiola (below) wants a ball-playing goalkeeper who is accomplished with his feet, and has decided Hart does not have sufficient quality to fulfil that remit.
But Guardiola believes Bravo, 33, has the requisite skillset to perform the ‘sweeper-keeper’ role and could make his debut in Sunday’s Premier League game at home to West Ham.
Although Hart, 29, is set for a recall for tonight’s Champions League qualifier second leg – a meaningless game with City leading 5-0 – the England No.1 knows he has no future under Guardiola.
Explaining the importance of a ball-playing keeper, a role for which he thinks Hart is not suited, the Blues boss said: “The reason why it’s important is every time we made a good build-up, we create a chance or two chances.
“The transitions are quick and we move the ball fast. When you play long balls, okay, you can win the balls, and maybe some times I have done that.
“But as fast as it is possible for the ball to go, as fast as possible it can come back.
“That’s why I tried to insist to the players how important it is. But it’s a process, so we need time to get better about our goal-kicks, about our build-up, and to create some movement to give some confidence to our attacking players.
“It’s always this idea. It’s not a romantic issue. It’s because when you create a good buildup, Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Fabian Delph, Yaya Toure, Raheem Sterling and Jesus Navas – our forward players – receive the ball in better conditions and that is the reason why.
“I’d like to have the ball for 90 minutes. I know most of the trainers don’t like to. “They say, ‘I don’t like the ball, I prefer to punish you in the counter-attack’.
“I’m completely the opposite. And when you can build up from the goalkeeper to the central defender, fullbacks, holding midfielders, everything is fluid.”
With qualification for tomorrow’s group stage assured, Yaya Toure, Fabian Delph, Fernando and young striker Kelechi Iheanacho are in the frame to start, but for Hart it looks to be a farewell performance. TOTTENHAM’S £22million forward Son Heung-min is a target for Wolfsburg. The German club want to take the 24-year-old (left) back to the Bundesliga just a year after he moved to England from Bayer Leverkusen.