Equally, Wilfried Bony’s move down the M6 to Stoke City, just 18 months after completing a £27m move from Swansea, does little to promote City director of football Txiki Begiristain’s ability to spot talent, or its true market value.
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The England goalkeeper has joined the Italian club for the remainder of the season after new City manager Pep Guardiola made it clear he had no future at the club.
Joe Hart has insisted that he plans on improving and learning this season in Serie A, after penning a one-year loan deal to take him to Torino.
A statement from Torino not only confirmed that the England goalkeeper had signed for the club, but also that his official first name is indeed “Charles”. “It was a sign”. Torino’s offer came in the right moment, with the right manner.
The move is expected to ensure regular action for Hart after he slipped down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium following the signing of Claudio Bravo from Barcelona last week.
Torino thrashed Bologna 5-1 on Sunday in their latest league game and are seventh in the standings on three points, having conceded four goals in their two matches.
“I am very excited to compare myself in an important and lovely league such as Serie A. History of Italian (goalkeeping) is known everywhere: I am sure I could learn in Torino too”. None of England’s players at the European Championship were based overseas.
Manchester City have continued the overhaul of their squad, ahead of the closure of the transfer window.
A sixth successive Serie A title seems a foregone conclusion, even if Juventus was ultimately thwarted in its attempts to sign Alex Witsel from Zenit St. Petersburg.
Juventus had already agreed to a fee for Witsel, who had passed a medical examination, but Zenit would not let the Belgium midfielder go until it had signed a suitable replacement – which it failed to do.
Striker Wilfried Bony, defender Eliaquim Mangala and playmaker Samir Nasri also seemed to be heading towards the exit with deals with Stoke, Valencia and Sevilla respectively being worked on. Midfielder Moussa Sissoko joined from Newcastle for a reported 30 million pounds ($39 million) and fellow Frenchman, winger Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, completed his move from Marseille.
The 29-year-old was greeted by around 200 fans loudly chanting his name at Torino’s headquarters, and there were further cheers and applause when he appeared at the window brandishing a club jersey with his name on the back.
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Goalkeeper Joe Hart smiles upon his arrival at the Torino soccer team headquarters in Turin, Italy, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016.
