Seasoned goalkeeper Joe Hart will leave Burnley at the end of the month (Getty Images)
According to ESPN, Tottenham Hotspur have signed English goalkeeper Joe Hart on a free transfer. The 33-year-old has been unattached with any club, after having been released by Burnley.
And as per the report, the former England international is now a Tottenham player, with the club agreeing to a two-year contract with him.
Hart started out at the academy of Shrewsbury Town and switched to Manchester City in 2007. After loan stints away at Tranmere Rovers, Blackpool and Birmingham City, he became a regular for the Cityzens from 2010 and went on to taste plenty of success at the club.
The 33-year-old made 348 appearances for the club, winning two Premier League titles and a number of other trophies. However, the arrival of Pep Guardiola spelt an end to his time at the club. After loan spells away at Torino and West Ham United, Hart signed for Burnley in 2018.
In his two years at Turf Moor, the former England international made just 24 appearances for the Clarets, managing six clean sheets in the process.
Tottenham endured a difficult 2019/20 campaign but were able to mount a recovery late on to ensure qualification for the Europa League. For Jose Mourinho & co. to kick on and improve their fortunes next term, the club need to strengthen their squad this summer.
Currently, Tottenham’s first-choice goalkeeper is club captain Hugo Lloris. The Frenchman too endured a mixed bag of a season in 2019/20. He managed just six clean sheets in 27 games across all competitions, conceding 37 goals.
Backup custodian Paulo Gazzaniga failed to make the most of his opportunity this season when Lloris was injured. Plus with the club also losing third-choice goalkeeper Michel Vorm, Spurs signing a new goalkeeper to ensure depth in the position is a smart move.
Hart, to that end, is a good choice for the club. It is true that he featured just three times for Burnley in the 2019/20 season. But the Englishman is a vastly experienced customer, who has won multiple titles and trophies in England.
Hart is a veteran of over 500 career appearances in his club career. In addition, he also has 75 caps for the England national team. This kind of experience would be a boost to any side in the Premier League, let alone Tottenham.
Signing him would provide Mourinho with a proven backup goalkeeper, who will be arriving on a free transfer. This would be another bonus for the club given that their finances have been hit hard by the pandemic.
With Vorm leaving upon expiry of his contract and Paulo Gazzaniga not impressing Mourinho, Tottenham would do well to add another experienced goalkeeper to their midst. And Hart is a handy addition to the squad as a backup goalkeeping option. Given that he has cost them nothing in terms of transfer fee, it makes the transfer an enticing proposition.
