Everton are reportedly shelving their interest in Joe Hart.
Manchester City’s Joe Hart during the warm up
According to the Daily Mail, Everton have shelved their interest in signing Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, as a season-long loan deal would cost a whopping £7m.
The Toffees have signed one goalkeeper already this summer, as Maarten Stekelenburg secured a reunion with manager Ronald Koeman, after the Dutch duo had worked together at Ajax and Southampton.
Manchester City’s Joe Hart warms up before the game
However, Stekelenburg was only a second-choice goalkeeper for Koeman at Southampton last season, and with Joel Robles unlikely to be the club’s long-term stopper, other goalkeepers are being linked with moves to Goodison Park.
Over the past week, the hottest name being suggested is Joe Hart. The England international is clearly out of favour under new City boss Pep Guardiola, having been left on the bench in favour of Willy Caballero in each of City’s first three games of the season.
Manchester City’s Joe Hart warms up with Willy Caballero before the match
The Daily Mail report that whilst Everton are keen to sign Hart, they have decided to shelve their interest due to a season-long loan package costing around £7m.
It’s stated that, with the loan fee City are looking for coupled with Hart’s £135,000-a-week wages, Everton would have to splash out £7m just to have Hart for one season – and it’s a deal that the Toffees have decided to snub despite the investment of Farhad Moshiri.
England’s Joe Hart
With just over seven days to go until the transfer window closes, this could be a strategy from Everton to try and get City to either lower the loan fee or subsidise his wages, as City won’t want to keep Hart around the Etihad Stadium if they sign Barcelona’s Claudio Bravo, with Sky Sports expecting a deal for the Chilean to go through this week.
However, Stekelenburg’s impressive start to the Premier League season may mean that Everton really have ended their interest in Hart, leaving the 29-year-old in limbo as he looks for first-team football to keep his spot as England’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Would you have paid £7m to loan Joe Hart for the season?
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