Joe Hart's Move to Tottenham Makes Sense - Here's Why

Former England international goalkeeper Joe Hart has hit the headlines with a move to join Jose Mourinho's Tottenham side reportedly imminent.

The 33-year-old won two Premier League titles, two EFL Cups and an FA Cup with Manchester City, but was pushed out on loan to Serie A side Torino when Pep Guardiola joined the club in 2016.

Hart has since had spells with Premier League clubs West Ham and Burnley, but has been a free agent following the expiration of his contract at Turf Moor this summer.

Mourinho has a history of bringing older English goalkeepers to his Premier League clubs, most recently with Lee Grant at Manchester United. The Portuguese manager likely sees it as an opportunity to make up the numbers in squad registration, and he's not wrong.

For years, Tottenham have had trouble with their player registration, particularly in UEFA competitions.

Juan Foyth and Victor Wanyama have been two first-team players that have had to miss out on making Tottenham's European squad, instead having to occupy a place on the 'B list'.

Both Premier League and UEFA guidelines allow 17 foreign players in a squad of 25, the rest should all be made up by homegrown players.

Following Jan Vertonghen and Michel Vorm leaving the club after the expiration of their Spurs contracts, the signing of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has put the squad exactly on the limit of 17 foreign players.

Football.London reported that this could mean Tottenham would have to operate on a 'one out one in' basis when recruiting foreign players - one would need to leave the club in order to make a space available for one to join.

However, with Hart set to join the squad on a two-year deal, Spurs are better off with an Englishman than a third goalkeeper from another nation. Hart has also reportedly agreed to a wage cut, and is believed to join Spurs on £35,000 per week, which is lower than the £50,000 per week deal has was on at Burnley.

The club also have two younger goalkeepers in Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman. However, both could now be sent out on loan following Hart's arrival in order to experience first-team football.

Hart is expected to join Hugo Lloris and Paulo Gazzaniga in Tottenham's goalkeeping department. All three shot-stoppers could be called into action early in the 2020/21 season, with Spurs facing a congested fixture list which sees them play two midweek games as well as a weekend Premier League fixture.

It's not just the squad registration criteria which makes Spurs' move for Hart seem logical, he is also a loud voice in the dressing room.

Hart told BBC Sport in June: "I remember playing for my local Sunday league team and trying to get into the Shrewsbury Town first team. I learned early - you need to keep things in perspective.

"You can have great things said about you in football, but you have to be strong on self-criticism, analyse what you are doing and be comfortable with it.

"I am young when it comes to goalkeeping. I am even younger when it comes to the mental age of a guy who just wants to go in goal and have people whack balls at him.

"There is plenty more to come from me. I just need someone to believe in me and I will repay that faith."

The goalkeeper has the 'leader mentality' Mourinho is desperate to add to his Spurs squad, and when paired with Hojbjerg, former Southampton captain, it appears Spurs are on the right trajectory with their summer signings.