Report: Manchester City closing in on Barcelona's Bravo
To see a list of completed deals in the summer window thus far, visit theScore's Premier League transfer tracker.
Manchester City is reportedly on the verge of completing a €21-million deal for Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo in a move that would effectively end Joe Hart's six-year run as a No. 1 starter.
Rob Pollard of the Manchester Evening News understands Pep Guaridola's side has already agreed to terms with Bravo over a transfer. Bravo is said to have a €42-million buyout clause in his contract, but Pollard believes it won't be necessary for City to pay it in full.
City had been linked with Bravo's teammate, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, for some time this summer. Ter Stegen played in relief of Bravo last season, filling the void in goal for Barcelona's cup commitments.
But Barcelona has apparently tabbed Ter Stegen - who is nine years younger than his Chilean counterpart - as its present and future.
He had put his future with the Blaugrana in question as recently as March, expressing to German tabloid TZ that he wanted more playing time.
However, Ter Stegen is currently out injured with a knee injury, so a deal for Bravo will require a little patience. It's unlikely Barcelona will allow the 33-year-old to leave without a healthy Ter Stegen in place.
The German netminder missed the first leg of the Supercopa de Espana on Sunday against Sevilla. It's uncertain whether he will recover in time for the second leg at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.
The news comes more than 24 hours after Guardiola decided to drop Hart for City's Premier League opener against Sunderland.
There's tension between the two, according to Sky Sports' Lyall Thomas, but Hart has apparently decided to fight for his place.
The English goalkeeper is coming off a disappointing Euro 2016 campaign, and Guardiola seems to believe Willy Caballero - who started ahead of Hart on Saturday - had a better preseason.
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