Manchester City Transfer News: Latest on Joe Hart, Paulo Dybala Rumours
Joe Hart's recent loss of form is due to the constant speculation about his future, according to Torino president Urbano Cairo.
The England international, who is on loan with the Serie A side from Manchester City, made an error on Saturday, as his side could only muster a 1-1 draw with Crotone. Speaking about the goalkeeper afterward, Cairo said increased talk about his situation has become a distraction.
"There's too much being said about Hart," he said, per Tuttosport (h/t Ben Gladwell of ESPN FC). "Since this has been happening, his performance levels have dropped. This is already the third time we [have] conceded a goal this way, and that's a bit too much. It happens, and I like him, but come on. ... He's a great goalkeeper, though, and let's see how things evolve."
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Hart has been largely impressive since his move to Italy, although a few more errors have crept into his game recently. Here's a reminder of how his season away from the Etihad Stadium has gone:
Torino manager Sinisa Mihajlovic previously made it clear to La Gazzetta dello Sport that the club would like to extend Hart's stay beyond this season but conceded they would not be able to afford a permanent transfer (h/t BBC Sport).
Still, his recent form will be a worry for the Granata. As noted by WhoScored.com, even before this latest gaffe, Hart had made some costly errors:
Hart was shown the door at City after manager Pep Guardiola brought in Claudio Bravo from Barcelona last summer; the coach clearly prefers a goalkeeper who is good with the ball at his feet, which is not an area the Englishman excels in.
The stopper will hope to have his future resolved soon, whether that involves another year in Torino or a Premier League side taking him off City's hands. According to Joe Bernstein of the Mail on Sunday, Chelsea and Manchester United are said to be considering signing Hart should they lose Thibaut Courtois or David De Gea respectively.
Paulo Dybala Rumours
According to Simon Mullock of the Sunday Mirror, Manchester City turned down the chance to sign Juventus star Paulo Dybala in 2015 during the same transfer window in which they acquired Wilfried Bony.
It's reported that Dybala "issued a come-and-get-me-plea to City early in 2015 when it became clear that Palermo were preparing to sell him." City sporting director Txiki Begiristain is said to have scouted the player, although he was convinced to spend big on Bony by former manager Manuel Pellegrini.
Dybala moved to Juventus the following summer and has gone from strength to strength with the Bianconeri, establishing himself as one of the best forwards in the world.
As we can see here, the Argentina international made it clear he had admiration for the Etihad Stadium club too:
The 23-year-old made a massive impression in Juve's recent UEFA Champions League win over Barcelona, netting twice in a 3-0 triumph.
His performance opened the many people's eyes to just how good Dybala is. The forward has a low centre of gravity, is dynamic in his dribbling and is capable of scoring many different types of goals. There's little doubt he would have been a big hit at City had he made the switch.
By contrast, Bony failed to blossom at the Etihad Stadium and is struggling out on loan at Stoke City. This season, he's made just nine starts, netting two goals for the Potters in the Premier League.
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