Claudio Bravo arrived from Barcelona on Tuesday to complete a £17million move to Manchester City and confirm a rather awkward reality for Joe Hart. The England goalkeeper is now third choice at his own club.
Hart is set to make his first appearance of the season in tonight’s Champions League play- off second leg against Steaua Bucharest at the Etihad, but it will only be a temporary return to the City line-up.
Bravo and Willy Caballero will be one and two under Pep Guardiola, leaving Hart to accept his new circumstances or find a new club within the next week.
It seems inconceivable that the 29-year-old should remain in limbo at the Etihad beyond the end of the transfer window — even more so after new England manager Sam Allardyce warned that he has to be playing regular first-team football to represent his country.But that is the prospect facing Hart following the breakdown of talks between City and Everton over a loan deal that has put pressure on all parties to find a solution to the problem — and fast.
Once again yesterday, Guardiola found himself having to answer questions about a player who has started the first three games of this season on the bench.
City’s 5-0 win in the first leg in Bucharest last week may have made their progress to the group stage a whole lot smoother, but eight days on and 1 500 miles away from the Romanian capital, the issue over their longest-serving player was still far from resolved.
The City boss maintained that he gets on well with Hart when it was put to him that pictures of the two men engaged in an animated conversation in training yesterday morning might suggest otherwise.
‘I have an excellent relationship with Joe,’ said Guardiola. ‘He is clear with me and me with him. We spoke about football. He has a chance to play (in the second leg), the same as Angus Gunn and Willy and the other ones.‘I’ve said many times that he is our player. Until the 31st of this month, all the players here are our players, my players. I work with them like there is no end.
‘After, we will speak about everything and the situation with Joe I have spoken about in the last two press conferences. I don’t know (about any enquiries for Hart). I’m not involved to speak. I don’t know what’s going on.’
Guardiola was equally reluctant to discuss the Bravo deal, even as the 33-year-old Chile goalkeeper arrived on a delayed flight from Barcelona to have a medical.Bravo will play the ‘sweeper keeper’ role that Guardiola feels is currently beyond Hart’s capabilities, with Caballero expected to revert back to his job as No 2.
‘I cannot deny what everyone knows,’ said Guardiola. ‘Barcelona were the first ones a week or 10 days ago to announce the contact with Manchester City but, I’m sorry, when the deal is complete or not complete I will be open to answer. In this moment he is not our player.’
Everton’s refusal to pay all of Hart’s £135,000-a-week wages proved to be the main stumbling block in negotiations and Guardiola acknowledged that off-loading big earners is proving a problem.
City hope to strike a deal with West Ham for Wilfried Bony and Napoli have joined AC Milan and Valencia as a potential loan option for Eliaquim Mangala.
But Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri are set to stay beyond the transfer window even though they appear to have no future at the club under the new regime.‘I like a short (small) squad,’ said Guardiola.
‘If you have less players, it’s easier for the players and the coaches and the club.
‘But it’s not going to happen for two reasons — because we have a huge squad right now and they have a contract and they have to respect their positions.
‘And in the Premier League there are much more games, it’s more physical and I think we need more players.’
Even though City’s progress to the group stage appears to be a formality, Guardiola has told his players to see the job through tonight. ‘I don’t like to play the game when people say it’s easy and it’s finished,’ he added. ‘No, anything can happen. I have a lot of respect for the opponent and I know what happens in football.
‘Of course, we start 5-0 so it’s almost impossible to be better than that. I know we have a huge advantage and we are delighted about that. But why would we play thinking it’s done? It’s not done. It’s 90 minutes with a big advantage, but I said to the players, “Sorry guys, we aren’t in the Champions League already. We are almost there, but we have to respect Steaua Bucharest and play seriously”.’ – Daily Mail