Pep Guardiola says Manchester City will try to find “a solution” for Joe Hart that sees the goalkeeper move elsewhere again.And the Manchester City manager has made it plain that if the club cannot find a deal for the keeper – permanent or loan – he will be happy to keep him in his squad.
Guardiola axed Hart two years ago in a controversial move when he first joined the club, replacing him with Claudio Bravo, and upsetting many City fans, who regarded Hart as a hero.
Since Guardiola arrived at City as boss in the summer of 2016, Hart has had season-long loan spells with Torino and West Ham. The 31-year-old, having missed out on a place in England’s World Cup squad, was included in the City squad for their pre-season tour in the United States as they prepare for their tour opener against Borussia Dortmund at Soldier Field.
Last summer he was left at home to sort out his future – and fixed up a season-long loan deal to West Ham, to follow on from the season he spent at Torino. The Hammers stay went badly for Hart as high-profile mistakes saw him dropped in favour of Adrian – and ultimately lost his place in the England squad for the World Cup finals as Gareth Southgate chose Jordan Pickford and Jack Butland. over him.
When Guardiola was asked about Hart on Friday at a press conference in Chicago, he said: “Joe is our player, so in that situation he is here and we are going to try (to find) a solution for him, for the best for him. If not, he will stay here.
“He is a player who is one of the most incredible professionals I have ever met. He is training like a young guy, 18 years old. I know it is not easy for him, what happened in the last period. But he is with us. Tomorrow he is going to play (against Borussia Dortmund).”
Hart, who has been with City since 2006, has one year left on his contract with the club. Also in the squad is City’s summer signing Riyad Mahrez, the winger recruited for a club-record fee of £60million from Leicester.
The Premier League champions had hoped to sign Jorginho from Napoli as well, but the midfielder moved to Chelsea last week, on the same day his boss at the Serie A club Maurizio Sarri was named as the new manager at Stamford Bridge.
Regarding Jorginho, Guardiola said: “I’m not disappointed. We tried.My advice for all players is they have to go where they want to go, and in the end it would have been a mistake for him and for us if he’d decided to come here when he wanted to go with Maurizio and Chelsea.English football receives an exceptional player. All the best for him. Guardiola also said of City winger Leroy Sane being left out of Germany’s World Cup squad: “Maybe this decision will make him stronger.”
Previously Pep Guardiola claimed Joe Hart had the enthusiasm of a teenager in training and revealed he will play in Manchester City’s first pre-season friendly.Hart was still searching for a permanent move away from the Etihad Stadium after returning earlier this month.Loan spells at Torino and West Ham did not work out but Guardiola believed the former England No 1 had something to offer.
‘Joe is our player. His situation is that he is here. We will try and find solution for him. If not, he will stay here,’ Guardiola had said.
‘He’s one of the most incredible professionals I’ve ever met. He is training like a young guy of 18 years old.’
Hart is seemingly set for some minutes against Borussia Dortmund at Soldier Field in Chicago in the early hours of Saturday morning.
‘I know it’s not easy for him given what’s happened in the last period,’ Guardiola added. ‘But he is with us and tomorrow he’s going to play.’