Man City & England Star Joe Hart Set for Burnley Medical as Club Aim to Stave off Goalkeeping Crisis
It seems that Burnley aren't content with having two England goalkeepers in their squad, as they are reportedly keen to sign a third. According to BBC Sport, Hart is set to complete a medical at the club on Friday ahead of a move to the club.
The reason for Burnley's interest in Hart seems clear enough - both Tom Heaton and Nick Pope are currently injured, so the Clarets are surely desperate to avert a goalkeeping crisis at Turf Moor.
However, some Burnley fans are likely to question the wisdom of signing a player whose form over the last few seasons has been mixed at best. Hart had a notoriously terrible European Championship with England in 2016, and his form has never quite recovered.
After an error-strewn loan spell at Serie A side Torino in the 2016/17 season, Hart spent last season on loan at West Ham United, where he continued to make costly mistakes. His loss of form was so marked that he was omitted from Gareth Southgate's England squad for this summer's FIFA World Cup in Russia.
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Hart may have mixed feelings about the excellent displays of his replacement Jordan Pickford in Russia, as the Three Lions advanced to the semi-finals. As an England fan, he is surely delighted. On the other hand, his chances of becoming England's number one keeper again appear remote at best.
Even if Hart signs for Burnley, he may struggle to hold down a starting berth once either Heaton or Pope is fit again. Pope is currently ahead of Hart in the England goalkeeping pecking order, as he was included in Southgate's squad this summer.
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Meanwhile, whether or not Hart joins their club, Burnley fans will hope that their side can emulate their exploits of last season, in which they finished in seventh place in the Premier League.
They will no doubt be buoyed by Thursday's 3-1 victory (4-2 on aggregate) over Aberdeen in the second qualifying round of the Europa League.
