FORMER Celtic target Joe Hart is poised to sign a two-year deal with Spurs.
The 75 times-capped England international keeper had talks with Neil Lennon following Fraser Forster’s decision to remain at Southampton and Craig Gordon’s return to Hearts at the end of his contract.
Hart, 33, a free agent after quitting Burnley, was interested in joining the nine-in-a-row champions, but the move stalled when the Hoops boss paid £4.5million for AEK Athens No.1 Vasilis Barkas who will now battle for the gloves with Scott Bain while the search goes on for a dependable third shotstopper.
The ex-Manchester City netminder is set to challenge Paulo Gazzaniga to be Hugo Lloris’s No 2 in north London, with Jose Mourinho looking for a third goalkeeper following Michel Vorm’s release last month, according to The Guardian.
Hart left Turf Moor after two years at the club where he fell behind both Tom Heaton and then Nick Pope in the pecking order, making just three appearances in the 2019/20 campaign.
His career has stuttered since winning the Premier League title with City as Pep Guardiola did not rate him and he was shipped out to Torino and then West Ham. But he could help solve a problem for Spurs as, under Premier League rules, clubs must name at least eight homegrown players in their 25-man squad and his English nationality would fill a slot.
Ex-Hoops No.1 David Marshall will leave financially-stricken Wigan, relegated to the third tier, and he, too, has been linked with a Parkhead comeback.
