Pietà goalie Hogg signs for Bari

Pietà Hotspurs goalkeeper Andrew Hogg has sealed his move to Bari after signing a one-year contract with the Italian Serie B club.

Edward Schembri, the president of Pietà, travelled to Italy earlier this week to finalise Hogg's loan move to Bari.

Contacted by The Times, Schembri confirmed that Hogg's transfer to Bari has been completed. "Andrew Hogg has signed for Bari. He returned with me to Malta on Wednesday but will fly back to Italy on Sunday," Schembri said.

Schembri said that Bari have an option of making Hogg's transfer permanent at the end of his season loan.

Hogg, widely considered as one of the best young goalkeepers in Malta, impressed the Bari coaching staff after two trials with their primavera side earlier this month.

The 18-year-old goalkeeper is expected to be called to the Maltese Under-19 squad to play Turkey in a friendly match on September 8.

Pietà have signed former Zurrieq goalkeeper Mark Farrugia to fill the void left by Hogg.

In the past few days, the Hotspurs also secured the services of three other players, namely Bernard Sciberras, the brother of their Malta U-21 midfielder Gareth Sciberras, Sean Sullivan, who last season was on the books of Marsaxlokk, and Nicky Schembri, the brother of Hibernians' up-and-coming midfielder Andrè Schembri.