Former Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall believes Torino is the right move for Joe Hart, but great pressure will come with it.
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But Hart, who will be keen to avoid the fate of the many English players who failed to make an impact in Serie A, has reason for apprehension.
“I’m very excited to test myself in an important and lovely league like Serie A. The history and quality of goalkeepers in Italy is known everywhere and I’m sure than I can learn a lot here at Torino too and it is for these reasons that I accepted President [Urbano] Cairo’s offer”.
Joe Hart leaves after a decade of services and success for the Citizens, winning the Premier League twice, the FA Cup once and the League Cup on two occasions.
Sterling became the most expensive English player when he joined City from Liverpool for 44mn pounds ($57.57mn) previous year, but struggled to justify his hefty price tag in a disappointing first season in Manchester.
Hart follows a long list of English players in Italy, but is one of the few at the top of his game to move overseas in recent times.
Torino who finished 12th in Serie A last season, already have former Liverpool goalkeeper Daniele Padelli on their books.
Torino have been busy over the transfer window and have roped in a number of players including Adam Ljajic from Roma and Luca Rossettini from Bologna.
The Belgium winger has penned a four-year deal at The Hawthorns. “If he doesn’t, he’s buying himself time if one of the big clubs want him”, he added.
The move sees the Chile worldwide link up again with former Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella.
It was a busy final day of player trading for Premier League clubs, who have collectively spent more than 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) for the first time in a transfer window – almost 1.2 billion pounds ($1.5 billion) total by the close of play – as they reinvest their new bumper television windfalls. The Italians will look at him and go “what is he all about”.
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He’s hoping to rebuild his career at Torino where he’s set to move on a year-long loan.
