HART HUMBLED
Sunderland loan move could be escape route for City’s axed keeper
JOE HART will be offered the chance to end his Manchester City hell by signing a loan deal at Sunderland.
David Moyes needs a goalkeeper with Vito Mannone ruled out for at least three months after damaging elbow ligaments in training and is keen to take the England international on a season-long loan.
Sunderland would guarantee Hart first-team action, but the two-time Premier League champion is understood to have reservations about joining a club likely to be in a relegation battle.
The reality for Hart, however, is that he is running out of options.
A move to perennial strugglers Sunderland would cap a remarkable fall from grace after Pep Guardiola signed Claudio Bravo as Hart’s replacement and yesterday admitted the 29-year-old would be competing with Willy Caballero and rookie Angus Gunn for a place on the bench.
It follows England manager Sam Allardyce admitting earlier this week that it would be difficult for him to pick Hart if he is not a regular starter for his club.
One possible escape route was blocked this week when Everton boss Ronald Koeman ruled out a move for the City man.
If Moyes does convince Hart to move to the Stadium of Light, Sunderland
would need City to subsidise part of his £130,000-a-week wages. But despite the financial implications for Sunderland, Moyes is ready to pull out all the stops to get his man. Guardiola spelled out the new reality for Hart yesterday. ‘Of course the fourth goalkeeper is not an ideal situation but we respect their contracts, we respect the situation,’ said the City manager. ‘If Joe stays and Willy stays and Angus stays, it’s not always the same one staying on the bench, maybe they are going to be rotated to find a solution for us and for them.’ Sevilla were also keeping tabs on Hart’s situation, but the Spanish club signed Paris Saint-Germain’s Salvatore Sirigu on a season-long loan yesterday. It wasn’t all bad news for Hart though. Sponsors Head & Shoulders confirmed they would not be dropping him. Hart has starred in a number of adverts promoting the shampoo brand over the last three years. A spokesman told Sportsmail: ‘We are proud to have Joe Hart as our Head & Shoulders ambassador. He’s an important part of the brand and we value our relationship with him.’ Meanwhile, Bravo will not be rushed straight into the City side for their Premier League clash with West Ham tomorrow. ‘He’s fit but he’s not going to play,’ said Guardiola, who is likely to pick Caballero. Guardiola, however, made clear he feels Bravo fits the bill in terms of the ball-playing keeper he is looking for, with Hart’s distribution being his perceived weakness. ‘He’s a goalkeeper with a lot of experience in Spain and with Chile. His experience, to anticipate situations not in the box and in front of the box, being good in the build-up plays and quick under the posts — he is a good player for us.’