Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart joins Torino on loan

“A popular, well-liked figure in the dressing room and a fans’ favourite thanks to his articulate, straight talking candour in interviews, Hart now joins Turin-based Serie A outfit, Torino for the remainder of the current campaign”.

Manchester City’s clear-out after an offseason of heavy spending has seen striker Wilfried Bony join Joe Hart in going out on loan from the English club.

Our man was in Italy as we await the official announcement of the England goalkeeper’s loan move from Manchester City to the Serie A side.

He has played 348 games in all competitions for City since joining them, keeping 137 clean sheet.

Fiorentina and Atalanta are both interested in the 30-year-old, who understandably doesn’t want to play second fiddle all season.

Hart has not featured for City in the Premier League under Pep Guardiola, being named on the bench for each of their three matches so far this term.

“Suddenly, my career has undergone a change, I took it as a sign of destiny, so I had to do something…” the goalkeeper admitted.

Hart is on global duty with England this week but has been given permission to fly to Italy to resolve his future with the British media reporting that he was due to arrive in Turin later on Tuesday.

However he also said he would not stand in the player’s way and it appears the Frenchman has decided his immediate future lies away from Manchester.

Claudio Bravo’s arrival from Barcelona means City have 19 foreign players – two more than they are allowed by the Premier League.

Hart’s fellow City goalkeeper, Willy Caballero, sent his own good luck message via Twitter.

“From the moment I signed in 2006, the club and its fans have given me football and life experiences I could never have imagined and I am so thankful for that”.

The 29-year-old is expected to complete the formalities of a season-long loan move to Torino on Tuesday. “And so I had to do something”, Hart said in an Italian statement on the Torino website.