Bilic makes West Ham transfer admission: I am a huge admirer of this great personality
By Will Butcher
Slaven Bilic has admitted that he is a huge fan of Joe Hart amid reported West Ham interest in the Manchester City goalkeeper.
The Sun claimed earlier in January that the Hammers were looking to sign the England international, who is currently on loan at Serie A side Torino.
Speaking ahead of West Ham’s Premier League clash against Southampton, manager Bilic revealed his admiration for the 29-year-old stopper.
“We are heavily linked with every player looking for a move,” Bilic said, as quoted by West Ham’s official Twitter account. “I rate Joe Hart really highly as a great goalkeeper and personality.”
The Hammers could be set to enter the market for a new goalkeeper in the summer, with Spaniard Adrian entering the final six months of his current contract.
Adrian has been dropped for Ireland international Darren Randolph, but Bilic is reportedly keen to add Hart to his side despite his huge wages, which the Daily Mail claim are worth £140,000 a week.
Hart is set to leave City in the summer, after being ostracised by manager Pep Guardiola and forced to join Torino on a temporary basis.
With a return to the Premier League likely to be on the cards, the Hammers could look to sign the goalkeeper but are expected to face competition.
Football Insider verdict:
For any side in Europe, Hart would be a wonderful signing. Proving time and time again that he is one of the best shot stoppers around, the former Shrewsbury Town youth player is likely to have plenty of interest in him at the end of his loan with Torino. The Hammers must look to sign the goalkeeper and be willing to match his wage demands, with Bilic likely to want to add proven Premier League experience to his squad after a number of foreign signings failed to produce since their moves to the London Stadium in the summer. It remains to be seen if Hart would be interested in a move to the London Stadium, though.
In other West Ham transfer news, the Hammers were reportedly in talks to sign this Premier league goalscorer on deadline day.
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