West Ham have signed unwanted Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart on a season-long loan that reveals how badly Pep Guardiola wanted to get rid of the England star.
City failed to find a buyer for their former number one at their £25m price tag so have agreed a deal that does not earn them any money but at least covers the cost of Hart's wages for the season.
"The London club will pay Hart £2.5m in wages, plus £2m to City, which is being termed as a 'loan fee'. City will then pay Hart £2m," reports The Times.
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"That way, the England goalkeeper will still earn the £4.5m salary he receives under the terms of his City contract and West Ham do not have to break their wage structure to sign him."
Hart joins another former Man City favourite, Pablo Zabaleta, in London and both could line up against their old club in a pre-season friendly in Iceland next month.
The England keeper spent last season on loan at Torino in Italy but declared himself happy to be back in the Premier League.
He said: "It was a fun year and I did enjoy being part of Serie A and part of Torino, but I'm ready to come back and looking forward to being part of this fantastic league again.
"To be playing in the Premier League for a big club like West Ham, I'm really looking forward to the season."
His England place is under pressure, however, and according to the Daily Mirror, the 30-year-old "is keen to show he is still one of the best keepers in the top flight and with the World Cup taking place next summer, he is determined to secure regular first-team football".
Hart has spent 11-years on the books at City and is under contract at the Etihad until 2019. However, the deal with West Ham does not include an option to buy, so his newly-nomadic career is likely to take another twist next summer.
