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Klopp rules out Hart move

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London: Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has ruled out a swoop for exiled Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart.


Hart is currently on loan with Serie A side Torino after being banished by City manager Pep Guardiola.


He could return to the Premier League next season, but it is unlikely he will play for City again and Liverpool have been linked with a deal for the 30-year-old England international.


Klopp’s keepers have been a constant problem this season after first-choice Simon Mignolet struggled and was replaced by Loris Karius, who also failed to shine.


But Mignolet has improved since returning to the line-up and, in the last two matches against Stoke and West Bromwich Albion, the Belgian has been particularly impressive. With that in mind, Klopp is adamant he has no plans to make a move for Hart.


“Extra competition — You ask about goalkeepers but even though you don’t say the name is it about Joe Hart —” Klopp said on Thursday when asked whether he was considering his goalkeeping options.


“We don’t usually talk about these sort of things but in this particular case I think we can.


“He is a fantastic goalkeeper, the goalkeeper of the English national team, the highest quality, but we have highest-quality goalkeepers.


“It is not for us in this moment and hopefully not for us in the future, not because of Joe, but we already have two strong goalkeepers. “Danny Ward is at Huddersfield and playing a brilliant season. He is our player so we will bring him back next year so there is competition.


“The situation with our goalkeepers is really good. I understand the question but I cannot give the answer probably a few people want.”


Klopp, whose third-placed side host Crystal Palace on Sunday, has more pressing issues, with midfielder Lucas Leiva and centre-backs Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan unable to train this week.


The German also admitted Reds captain Jordan Henderson is still struggling to return from the foot problem which has sidelined him since early February.


Asked whether Henderson’s campaign could be over, Klopp added: “I don’t know, we will see.


“At this moment he cannot really train so we have to wait for this, that was the plan from the beginning.


“We are in intense talks with different medical departments but we have to wait. He is already not patient any more.


“He looks really healthy but he cannot play football and that is the situation at the moment. If something changes we can talk about it.” — AFP


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