Despite having won the Barclays Premier League Golden Glove for the last three seasons running with Manchester City, England goalkeeper Joe Hart has attracted criticism for a number of high-profile errors both this season and last which have cost his club goals at important times over the last few months. This has led to the former Shrewsbury man being dropped by the Chilean Manuel Pellegrini, in favour of the Romanian Costel Pantilimon.
But now talk in the press is starting to link a number of different names with the number 1 jersey at the Etihad Stadium, as City reportedly look ready to cash in on their former first-choice keeper, and many expect there to be someone new come in in either January or the summer, as Pellegrini’s reign gathers momentum. Spanish duo Victor Valdes and Iker Casillas have both been linked with a move to City, whilst Galatasary’s Fernando Muslera, playing under former Blues’ boss Roberto Mancini in Turkey has also been named in recent weeks.
Uruguayan keeper Muslera is a name that isn’t noticed or given as much credit as he deserves – partly due to the Turkish league as a whole not being well-respected in the football world. However, Muslera has been part of a successful Galatasaray side, which has attracted the attentions of other clubs in bigger leagues around Europe. City were recently linked with a move for the 27-year-old, although whether Mancini will be willing to sell to his former club remains to be seen, after his treatment by the board last season.
Marc-André Ter Stegen is a player who, despite not being linked with Manchester City, would be a very good player for the Citizens were he to join. The German international – aged just 21 – is predicted to have a very bright future in the game, and has been regularly linked with FC Barcelona over the past few months. The Borussia Mönchengladbach keeper would be on the pricey side of targets, but given his quality at such a young age, that price could well turn out to be worth it, or even a bargain in a few years.
Stoke City’s Asmir Begović is starting to gain a reputation is one of the Premier League’s top keepers, with some stellar performances over the last few seasons making the big clubs both in England and abroad take notice of the Bosnian. City have been regularly linked with the 27-year-old under the management of Mancini then Pellegrini, so there appears to be some truth in the link. Personally I think the move would be a very shrewd one, and Begović would be an important part of what could be a very successful Manchester City side.
Víctor Valdés has been one of the top keepers in the world over the last few seasons, with Catalan giants Barcelona. However, the 31-year-old looks set to depart from the Nou Camp at the end of this season, when his contract with Barça expires. Clubs like Monaco have been linked with a move for the Champions League winner, and despite some insisting that the former Tenerife youth player is a poor keeper, I feel he would be a more than adequate replacement for England’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Another Spaniard who is now being regularly linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium is Real Madrid’s Iker Casillas, who has fallen out of favour at the Santiago Bernabéu since an injury earlier this year. Both José Mourinho and now Carlo Ancelotti have opted to use Diego López instead of Casillas, which has led to rumours over the 32-year-old’s future. He is thought to be likely to leave for England, and an Etihad Stadium move could be on the cards. There would be many who would be happy to see him in sky blue as he is a very good keeper who would bring success with him to Manchester.
Whoever does turn out to replace England’s Joe Hart would have to be a top-class goalkeeper. Manchester City are looking to make themselves one of Europe’s most successful teams right now, which requires quality from back to front on the pitch. If the base of the team isn’t good enough, the rest won’t follow suit, and the millions of pounds being pumped into the Blues will have ended up as not worth it, and the reputation of Sheikh Mansour will be permanently damaged. So, picking the right replacement for Joe Hart – if Manuel Pellegrini does decide he actually needs one – is vital to success at the Etihad.
