Chelsea are reportedly keen on signing outcast Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart this summer.
The Blues are looking more and more likely to lose current first choice Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid in the coming weeks, with Hart mooted as a cost effective replacement for the Belgian stopper.
Courtois’ move to the Bernabeu looks to be finally happening after years of speculation around the situation.
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With the Belgian’s contract at Stamford Bridge entering its final year, and no new deal on the horizon, Chelsea are seemingly resigned to letting one of their star players go this summer, with a £35m fee reportedly already agreed between the two clubs.
Now, according to The Sun, Chelsea are considering a move for 31-year-old Hart to fill the soon-to-be Courtois shaped hole in the team.
Hart, who has never been in Man City manager Pep Guardiola’s plan, certainly wouldn’t be an expensive signing, and the club also see his potential arrival as an opportunity to tick off one more home grown player on the books.
The report claims a move for Hart would cost Roman Abramovich a mere £5m. Like Courtois, Hart only has one season left on his City contract and is of little importance to Guardiola – having been forced out on loan for the last two seasons.
However, signing Hart could easily go down very poorly with the fans. Last season, whilst on loan at rivals West Ham, Hart lost his place under both Slaven Bilic and David Moyes.
It would definitely be a risk to complete a move for the keeper that didn’t even get called up for the World Cup, but perhaps he just needs a bit of faith put in him to get back to his old ways.