David Platt has revealed that Manchester City had planned to replace goalkeeper Joe Hart with Stoke City's Asmir Begovic this summer.
Speaking on Al Jazeera, the former City assistant manager said: 'If Mancini and I were still at Man City this year Joe Hart wouldn't be there. We made a decision to sign Asmir Begovic.'
Platt followed Roberto Mancini out of the club in May after the Italian was sacked exactly one year after lifting the Premier League title.
Changes: Platt and Mancini were planning their transfer business before the Italian was sacked
Hart (left) would've been replaced by Begovic (right) had Roberto Mancini not been sacked in May
Struggling: Hart misses the ball as Fraizer Campbell heads Cardiff into the lead
Hart came under criticism for some of his performances last season as City failed to retain their Premier League crown, exited the Champions League in the group stage and lost the FA Cup final to Wigan Athletic.
Platt's comments about Hart came to light after City's 3-2 defeat at newly-promoted Cardiff City, in which the former Shrewsbury Town stopper was at fault for two of the Bluebirds' goals.
Hart also made an error during England's recent 3-2 friendly win over Scotland at Wembley, allowing James Morrison's shot to squeeze past him to give the visitors an early lead.
Same again: Campbell scores his second goal past the static Hart
In-form: Begovic put in a man of the match display in Stoke's opening game of the season against Liverpool
In contrast, Begovic has gone from strength-to-strength since joining Stoke from Portsmouth for £3.25 million in 2010.
The Bosnian international kept 12 clean sheets in the league last season and has been strongly linked with a big-money move to Manchester United or Arsenal.
But, with little over a week until the transfer window closes, the in-form 26-year-old looks likely to be staying at the Britannia Stadium for at least another year.
Kenny Miller scores Scotland's second goal past Hart at Wembley
Former City goalkeeper Nicky Weaver believes Hart could benefit from a period on the bench, but maintains that England's number one is still the man for new boss Manuel Pellegrini.
Speaking to Alan Brazil on talkSPORT's Sports Breakfast show, Weaver said: 'It’s not a crisis. When you get to the top of the game, like Joe Hart has, then you’re there to be shot at.
'When I look back at my career I played a lot of games early on and it might have been good if someone pulled me out of the team for four or five weeks, then you could come back refreshed and recharged.
Weaver in action for City against Watford in 2006
'I’ve got no concerns about Joe [in the long-term], he’s a world class goalkeeper and every game that Man City play at the moment is in the spotlight.
'He’s played a lot of football in the last couple of years. I’m sure Joe will bounce back, it’s a big season for him and I’m sure he’ll be great. He’ll be back to his best very soon.'
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