As things stand, it’s fair to say that Joe Hart’s loan to West Ham hasn’t exactly gone to plan.
The indisputable starter under Slaven Bilic, the change of manager, with David Moyes taking over from the Croatian, has led to the 30-year-old Manchester City loanee sitting on the bench since mid December.
While Hart is likely to be on the plane to Russia for the World Cup in the summer, the lack of time on the pitch will probably be a worry for both Gareth Southgate and the player himself.
Unlikely to stay at London Stadium beyond this season, the goalkeeper will return to the Etihad, where he’ll probably be sold, as Pep Guardiola has no interest in keeping him around.
Over in Italy, Tuttosport, relayed by Calciomercato, asked the player’s agent if he had an interest in going back to Torino, where he spent last season on a temporary deal.
He said: “If Joe misses Italy? He had a lot of fun, loves Torino and is always giving good press about the team. For Joe it was a really nice experience, but seeing him there in the future would surprise me”.
One of the main reasons why the goalkeeper had to return was his wages, as the Serie A side would have been unable to match his demands.
That is unlikely to change in the near future, and there’s every chance Hart will be looking around for one last big paycheque as he enters the back end of his career, even as a goalkeeper.