Pundit Tam McManus has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur could be putting Matt Doherty in the 'shop window' after featuring him in recent games despite the exit rumours.
The Lowdown: Start at Brentford
Antonio Conte decided to start Doherty in the 2-2 draw away at Brentford in the Premier League on Boxing Day, in what was only his fourth start in the division all season.
The full-back scored four goals during the club's mid-season friendlies, with Conte giving him a chance to impress ahead of the top flight's return, but has been tipped to exit the club this winter.
The Latest: In the 'shop window'?
Speaking to Football Insider, McManus has claimed that Spurs could be putting Doherty in the 'shop window' by giving him more game time, as Conte does not think that he is 'good enough':
“He hasn’t played much and just before the window opens he is coming into the team, it looks like a shop window thing to me.
“That might not be the case, Tottenham might just be desperate. But if a player like Emerson Royal has been playing ahead of you all season, it doesn’t look good.
“He could be one Spurs look to move on because I don’t think Conte thinks he’s good enough. He would be playing more if that was the case.
“He’s a proven Premier League player so they should have no problem finding a new club for him.“
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The Verdict: Get rid
It has simply not worked out for Doherty at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as he has often fallen behind the likes of Emerson Royal in the pecking order this season.
The Brazilian himself has come under immense criticism for some of his performances this term, and notably got himself sent off in their North London derby loss to Arsenal in October.
Given that Conte has favoured Emerson over Doherty more often than not, it does not bode well for the Irishman in terms of future playing time, and does suggest that he is not very highly rated by the manager.
Against Brentford, he lost out on seven of his duels, and failed to block any shots on his goal, while he also committed two fouls, was dribbled past once, and gave possession away a total of 23 times, the fourth-most of his team-mates (SofaScore).
Nonetheless, at 30 years of age, Doherty already looks like a player past his best, and so the Lilywhites should be looking to cash in in January.