BARCELONA
Guardiola has no faith in Joe Hart and sets sights on Claudio Bravo and Valdés
The new Manchester City manager has little confidence in the England player and wants to bring in a keeper with guarantees for the new campaign..Burnley-Manchester City: Premier League en directo
Joe Hart's erratic Euro 2016 with England could cost him his place at club level. According to reports in the UK, incoming Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola kept a close eye on events in France and was monitoring Hart's performances in particular, as he has been keen for a while to bring in a safe pair of hands for when the new Premier League starts in August.
Guardiola has been keen to list Real Sociedad's promising young Argentine goalkeeper Gero Rulli and free agent Víctor Valdés. But Rulli has made it clear that he wants to stay on in San Sebastián and while he remains on holiday and will joining up with the Argentina squad for Rio 2016, conspicuously, his name did not appear in the statement which La Real issued last week, thanking loanees Bruma, Oier Oyarzabal and Diego Reyes for their efforts last season. Like them, Rulli's loan arrangement is due to expire tomorrow but Real Sociedad are expected to outlay 7 million euros for the player, buying him on a four-year deal from CD Maldonado.
After Rulli declined City's interest, Guardiola has turned his attentions to Claudio Bravo, the best goalkeeper at the recent Copa América is a perfect alternative for his vast experience and ability to use both his feet and act as a quasi-fifth defender - a key requisite for the Catalan coach.
The Daily Mail reports that goalkeeping coach Xabier Mancisidor already attempting to bring in the Chile No.1 last season when he was Manuel Pellegrini's assistant - both having been impressed with Bravo during his time at Real Sociedad. La Real accepted a 12 million euro offer for the 33-year-old in the summer of 2014.
In England, there is a feeling of optimisim that Guardiola could lure Bravo away from Camp Nou seeing as Barça directors have full faith in Marc-André Ter Stegen occupying the goalkeeping position as first choice.