Torino secures Salvatore Sirigu switch

Torino has found its replacement for Joe Hart.

With the England international's one-year Serie A loan set to officially expire on Friday, Il Toro have wasted little time filling the first-choice duties at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, signing Sardinian shot-stopper Salvatore Sirigu on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.

Torino announced the move with a statement on its website Tuesday after the French side agreed to terminate the final year on Sirigu's contract.

With the addition of Kevin Trapp and emergence of Alphonse Areola, Sirigu became surplus to requirements at PSG and spent the last season on loan, first at Sevilla then with Osasuna, making 20 total appearances in the Spanish top flight.

"The club and the president have made me feel important and I thank them for that. I am honored to be part of a company that has a unique story," two-time Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year Sirigu said Tuesday.

A return to Italy after early-career spells with Palermo, Cremonese and Ancona not only provides an opportunity for Sirigu to be No. 1, but also a chance to book a spot in Gian Piero Ventura's Italy squad for the 2018 World Cup.

Sirigu, 30, has 17 Azzurri caps under his belt but is now on the fringes of Ventura's plans. With Gianluigi Buffon holding down a first-choice role and his heir apparent, Gianluigi Donnarumma, certain to be selected as backup, Sirigu will hope a stellar campaign at Torino can help him edge past the likes of Simone Scuffet, Mattia Perin, and Alex Meret for a trip to Russia.