Cairo said: “Joe Hart is a top global goalkeeper with substantial experience both with Manchester City and with the England national team, in which he even debuted at the age of 21”.
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England goalkeeper Joe Hart completed his move to Italian side Torino, French midfielder Samir Nasri joined Europa League champions Sevilla, Wilfried Bony pitched up at City’s Premier League rivals Stoke City and French centre-back Eliaquim Mangala signed for Valencia.
New England boss Sam Allardyce looks set to stick with Hart as his No. 1, but said it was important that he was playing first-team football regularly.
Hart, 29, lost his place to Willy Caballero at the start of the season and new coach Pep Guardiola’s decision to sign Claudio Bravo from Barcelona effectively relegated the England worldwide to third choice. Hart is an exceptional goalkeeper and locker room leader, and his absence will certainly be felt not only by supporters, but his longtime teammates as well.
Hart and Nasri are former City stalwarts, while Ivory Coast striker Bony arrived from Swansea City a year ago at a cost of £25 million.
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.
As the video below shows, Torino’s fans don’t seem in the least bit arsed that the 29-year-old supposedly can’t pass a ball out of his own penalty area.
Hart, who was given a warm welcome by Torino supporters, told the Serie A side’s website, torinofc.it: “It’s a great club, first and foremost”.
Media reports said the option of looking to sign Hart came through Attilio Lombardo, the former Sampdoria winger who was Roberto Mancini’s assistant at Manchester City and is now Mihajlovic’s assistant at Torino.
The players agent, Tony Barrett all but confirmed the move last night in an interview with Tuttosport soon after news broke about Hart leaving the camp simply admitting “it’s done”.
“I hope to live the same emotions this year”.
City are 27/20 with Titanbet to win the Premier League this season.
Hart made 348 appearances for City over the course of a successful 10-year spell with the club.
However he also said he would not stand in the player’s way and it appears the Frenchman has decided his immediate future lies away from Manchester.
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“From the moment I signed in 2006 the club and its fans have given me football and life experiences I could never have imagined and I am so thankful for that”.
