Joe Hart will be a success for West Ham should the east London club manage to finalise a deal for the Manchester City outcast this summer, according to former Hammer David James.

It has been reported in the last few days that the Hammers want to finalise a deal for England international Hart in the next few days, taking him to the London Stadium on a season-long loan with the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the 2017/18 season.

Pep Guardiola has had no desire to utilise Hart since his appointment at the Etihad, bringing in Claudio Bravo last summer and, after his struggles, signing Ederson from Benfica for this campaign.

Hart was shipped out on loan to Torino for 2016/17, and after enduring a rather dodgy spell in Serie A, they had no desire to re-sign the keeper.

But Hart is still regarded highly by former Irons and England man James, who told talkSPORT West Ham would benefit from capturing the 30-year-old.

He said: “Anyone who would sign Joe in the Premier League would benefit from him. I still think he’s England’s best goalkeeper – of course, the competition is good it has to be said.

“More importantly, the fact he’s had a season away from England and away in a top league in Italy leaning more about the world of football for one, and arguably the world of goalkeeping for two, because he is playing a different style.

“For him there’ll be a better appreciation of foreign players, once you’ve actually spent time abroad, and West Ham will undoubtedly have a lot of foreign players next season, and if he joins that side with them I think there’s a massive enhancement for West Ham.”