Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that goalkeeper Joe Hart is able to leave the club this summer - if he requests a transfer.
The club are expected to close a deal to sign Barcelona stopper Claudio Bravo over the weekend, and he will come in to take the number one spot at the Etihad. It's a role Hart has held for several years, but his future at the club was thrown into doubt when Guardiola decided to drop him for last week's Premier League opener against Sunderland.
Guardiola says that Joe Hart will be allowed to leave if he wants to. "I don't want players to stay if they don't want to stay."
Speaking at his Friday press conference, according to the "?Mirror, the Catalan confirmed that he didn't want players at the club if they didn't want to be there. Hart is believed to want first team football - but it doesn't appear he'll be forcing his way back into the City team - and his future now looks set to lie elsewhere.
Guardiola said: "Of course. I don't want players who are unhappy. I spoke with Joe the first moment we met in China (on tour). I have a lot of respect for him as a person and as a keeper. He's valuable.
"Until 31st (August), everything is open. If Joe is still here, he will fight for his place."
Everton are believed to be the front-runners to sign Hart either on loan or on a permanent deal, and manager Ronald Koeman failed to rule out a move for the England international when he spoke to the press recently.
He said: "What I don't like is to talk about rumours, because then we can keep that up for two weeks more and so many players' names are linked to Everton. Today it's Joe Hart, then tomorrow...
"I prefer not to talk about players, who are still in contract with teams other than Everton.
"We need three goalkeepers. We have Joel Robles, we have Maarten Stekelenburg, we have a young goalkeeper. It's all about the decision that we need to make. That's not for the media. We need to keep that inside. Those kind of decisions we will make inside the club."
Pep Guardiola will allow Joe Hart to leave Manchester City. By @JamieJackson___ https://t.co/dRGkgo3ycQ
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