Everton and Liverpool expected to compete for Joe Hart's services
Wednesday 17 August 2016 13:53, UK
Sky sources understand Joe Hart looks set to leave Man City before the transfer deadline - so where could he end up?
The England No 1 was benched by Pep Guardiola for their opening Premier League game of the season - Willy Caballero preferred for Saturday's 2-1 victory over Sunderland - and was left among the substitutes for Tuesday's Champions League play-off win over Steaua Bucharest.
Claudio Bravo is expected to join from Barcelona after a reported fee of £17m was agreed, although that move is on hold while Marc-Andre ter Stegen recovers from a knee injury.
Here's a look at the potential options for Hart if he does leave the Etihad, according to the trading room...
Everton (4/6 with Sky Bet)
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Ronald Koeman was thought to have made a new first-choice goalkeeper his priority as the Toffees look for a long-term replacement for Tim Howard.
Summer signing Maarten Stekelenburg impressed on debut against Tottenham but the potential availability of Hart is still expected to result in interest, with Sky Bet reporting the majority of bets coming in are for Everton to win the race.
Liverpool (11/4 with Sky Bet)
Jurgen Klopp has also already signed a new No 1 this summer, literally assigning the shirt to Loris Karius following his arrival from Mainz. However, the 23-year-old is considered competition for Simon Mignolet rather than a direct replacement and has been ruled out for eight to 10 weeks with a broken hand.
The Reds may have recorded an impressive opening-weekend 4-3 win at Arsenal but their defensive display did little to suggest they are the finished article, with goalkeeper and left-back areas surely still a concern.
Sevilla (12/1 with Sky Bet)
The Andalusian outfit are another side lacking a No 1, with three different goalkeepers used in the final five games of their 2015/16 campaign.
Sergio Rico, 22, started between the sticks in their UEFA Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup games but conceded five times in successive defeats. The departures of Grzegorz Krychowiak and Kevin Gameiro mean the club are in a rare position to invest, although it would be a surprise if they were capable of matching Hart's wages.
They are, however, unlike the aforementioned duo, capable of offering him Champions League football after securing qualification courtesy of a third successive Europa League title.
Barcelona (25/1 with Sky Bet)
While a deal has reportedly been agreed for Bravo, it may not be too late for City to fit Hart into the deal, assuming Guardiola's decision to allow his departure is a recent one.
Any such move would result in the 29-year-old having to compete for the No 1 spot with highly-rated Germany international Ter Stegen. But it would also offer him the chance to prove Guardiola wrong by producing for the very best, if any such interest exists that is.
Other options
The remainder of Europe's elite follow in Sky Bet's market, with Juventus, Real Madrid and PSG all 33/1 chances, while he is 11/4 to remain at City beyond the close of the current transfer window.