Rafa Benitez has a tough task in hand this January transfer window as his club Newcastle United are in the middle of a takeover, which can scupper their transfer plans. However, reports claim that the Spanish manager will be backed up with enough transfer funds in the coming months and this has seen a number of star players linked with a move to St James’ Park this month.
One such rumour that is getting mixed reactions among the fans of the club is their interest in English international Joe Hart.
Transfer story
A story from the Mirror earlier this week claimed that Rafa Benitez has a wish-list of four players that he wants at the club before the deadline day this month. He is ready to spend big and wants to revive Hart’s career, who is struggling for game time at the London Stadium.
He is currently on loan at West Ham United from Manchester City, on a weekly wage of £120,000 and it is understood that Newcastle United are ready to meet all the demands to sign him up. It will reduce the wage burden for the London club but is Hart an option the Magpies should look at?
Hart and his history
A product of the academy at Shrewsbury Town, the 30-year old came to Manchester City in 2006 but took a long time to establish himself in the first team at the Etihad. He has a couple of Premier League trophies to his name, in which time he acted as the first choice shot-stopper for the club and country.
He has 316 Premier League appearances, including 14 this season for West Ham to add to 75 international caps for England, making him one of the most experienced shot-stoppers in the country. Agile and smart with his positioning, Hart is an excellent shot stopper with decent distribution from the back.
He likes to be pro-active and though has the knack of making errors, he can walk into the top sides in the country. He has fallen down the pecking order at West Ham as David Moyes, the new boss, has decided to stick with Adrian on goal and this will make it easier for the Magpies to land him this month.
Chances at St James’ Park
With Rob Elliot standing as the first choice shot-stopper for Newcastle, Rafa is worried that he needs a player who can find some consistency on goal, which Elliot has not been able to produce this season. Karl Darlow has also not impressed the manager and remains the only other senior GK in the squad and Hart is a definite upgrade to these names.
He has lost his name as one of the best in the business as he was prone to constant mistakes but his time at West Ham has shown that Hart still has it in him to compete at the highest level. And add to it the fact that Rafa wants him in his side, makes Joe Hart and important signing for the Magpies.
