Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is reportedly considering a shock swoop for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart this summer.
The England international is currently on loan at Torino after being snubbed by Pep Guardiola, and the expectation is that he will move on permanently at the end of the season.
According to Marca, United are ready to swoop in for him as they could be forced to find a replacement for David De Gea who continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid.
If the Spaniard opts for a return to his homeland, even Marca seem shocked at the suggestion that United could target Hart as they’ve also been linked with having an interest in Atletico Madrid shot-stopper Jan Oblak.
On one hand, a move would make sense. Hart is experienced, has previously played in the Premier League and would offer plenty of positives.
However, as shown at Torino this season, he hasn’t cut costly errors out of his game and if he wasn’t deemed good enough for City, it would be a major surprise to see Mourinho install him as first-choice at Old Trafford if he is forced to scout the market for a De Gea replacement.
It would also be quite a shock in the sense that players rarely move directly between the two Manchester giants, with Carlos Tevez the last to do so in 2009. Nevertheless, if Mourinho has confidence in Hart, then perhaps he can get the 30-year-old performing at a high level on a consistent basis as he’ll certainly have something to prove too on his return to England.