NOWHERE MAN
Hammer Hart is out in the cold
WEST HAM have no interest in signing Joe Hart – leaving the England keeper’s career in limbo.
He has spent the campaign on loan at the Hammers but will return to Manchester City at the end of the season.
The 31-year-old has a year left on his £140,000-aweek contract at the Etihad, which means City must sell this summer or let Hart leave on a free next year.
City have heard nothing from the London club about an official offer while Hammers boss David Moyes has got his scouting department compiling a list of replacements.
Hart’s rival for the No.1 spot at the London Stadium, Adrian, will start against champions City today as Hart is unable to play against his parent club.
Major
He has endured a difficult time since Pep Guardiola took over at the Etihad.
The Spaniard made it obvious he did not rate the keeper and signed Claudio Bravo then Ederson.
Hart went on loan to Torino before his spell at West Ham.
The decision also leaves England boss Gareth Southgate with a major issue.
The Hammers’ refusal to take Hart permanently is a vote of ‘no confidence’ and Southgate skirted around the dilemma presented to him by his goalkeepers ahead of the World Cup by naming FOUR in his last squad – including Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland and Nick Pope. Hart was his go-to man in qualifying. But his form has declined – and recent highprofile mistakes against Burnley and Stoke have added to the theory that he is suffering a crisis of confidence.
Hart’s England showing in the Euros two years ago in France was also open to debate with questions asked about his efforts – particularly against Wales when Gareth Bale scored from a 35-yard free-kick.
City will be listening to cut-price offers and could have to reach a compromise on his wages, leading to a markedly reduced price tag for a man who was not so long ago considered a highly-prized asset.
FOOTBALL Joe not wanted in London ... or Manchester