Tottenham are reportedly keen on signing Wolves defender Matt Doherty in the summer transfer window.
That is according to a report from Football.London, which claimed that Spurs manager Jose Mourinho is a huge admirer of the Republic of Ireland international. However, with three years remaining on the 28-year-old’s current contract at Molineux, the Midlanders are under no pressure to sell the player, who is a firm favourite of his manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Doherty has been an influential figure at Wolves in both a defensive and attacking sense since their promotion to the Premier League two years ago. He averaged 1.5 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game last season, following on from match averages of 1.8 tackles and 1.6 interceptions the previous campaign (as per WhoScored).
However, perhaps his most noteworthy impact has been at the other end of the pitch. The Irish right-back has scored no fewer than 15 goals since the start of 2018/19, as well as providing 15 assists, showing that he can have a huge influence in the attacking third of the pitch for Nuno’s team.
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Tottenham are in the market for a right-back after the sale of Kyle Walker-Peters to Southampton left Serge Aurier as the only natural in that position in Mourinho’s squad, with Spurs being linked with Benfica youngster Tomas Tavares this week (as per Sunday People, via Football.London).
Aurier has been a useful attacking outlet for Spurs over the last couple of years, with four goals and 11 assists in that time, but those numbers pale in comparison to Doherty. The Ivorian had a far better tackling rate, though, winning 2.7 per game last season even though he has faced strong criticism over some error-strewn performances.
The 27-year-old has recently been linked with a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with AC Milan reportedly lining up a potential swoop for him.
Even if Aurier stays, Mourinho has a glaring need for right-back alternatives at Tottenham after selling Walker-Peters, and he could do a lot worse than Doherty.
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The Irishman is proven at Premier League level with 75 appearances in the division and he has shown that he can excel at that level over the last couple of years. Also, with a TransferMarkt valuation of £14.4m, he should not be an exorbitant acquisition for Spurs if they can entice him from Wolves.
It’s now a case of seeing how badly Mourinho wants him and how steadfast Nuno will be in resisting his fellow countryman’s interest in the 28-year-old.
Tottenham fans, how big a coup would Doherty be if Spurs can land him? Share your views in the comments section below!
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