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Tottenham: Bridge reacts to ‘unbelievable’ Matt Doherty decision
Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge has reacted after an ‘unbelievable’ Tottenham transfer twist involving former defender Matt Doherty.
The Lowdown: Doherty leaves Spurs…
The Republic of Ireland international was originally thought to be departing Spurs on a loan deal to Atletico Madrid for the remainder of 2022/2023.
Doherty saw Premier League game time limited at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium under manager Antonio Conte, making just seven starts all season before his departure.
The arrival of former Man City defender Pedro Porro would have further reduced his minutes with Spurs then allowing him to leave.
However, in a late twist to the tale, Spurs then confirmed the exit was actually a permanent one with the north Londoners mutually agreeing to terminate Doherty’s contract entirely.
The Latest: Bridge reacts…
This is because FIFA rules dictate only eight senior players can be allowed out on loan per season, a maximum Spurs have already filled, meaning a loan was not possible for Doherty.
As a result, the Lilywhites released their wing-back, who now joins Atletico permanently.
Calling the news ‘unbelievable‘ live on Sky Sports, journalist Bridge also went on to say ‘wow‘ multiple times and even joke ‘my head hurts’ in reaction to the deadline day decision by Spurs.
The Verdict: Head-scratcher…
Reliable reports all indicated this would be a loan deal until the end of the season, so Spurs’ formal announcement of a contract termination came as a real surprise.
That being said, Doherty’s permanent exit was perhaps inevitable this year given the defender is now 31-years-old and was entering the final 18 months of his contract.
The only regret from Tottenham’s perspective is perhaps not gaining a small cash sum for the player either last month or this summer.
Making space for Porro, however, was crucial as manager Antonio Conte is arguably in real need of an attack-minded wing-back who can provide threat from out wide.
The Spaniard was leading Sporting’s charts for assists and ranked in their top two for attempts at goal and key passes made per 90 (WhoScored) – potentially making Doherty’s free exit a small price to pay for such an asset.
