Tottenham transfer news: Matt Doherty joins Atletico Madrid after being released by Spurs - BBC Sport
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Tottenham transfer news: Matt Doherty joins Atletico Madrid after being released by Spurs

Last updated on .From the section Tottenhamcomments75

Matt Doherty celebrates
Matt Doherty scored three goals and provided eight assists in 71 Spurs appearances

Republic of Ireland defender Matt Doherty has been released by Tottenham and joined La Liga side Atletico Madrid.

The 31-year-old was expected to move to Atletico on loan but Spurs said they had "mutually agreed" to end his contract to enable the transfer.

Doherty arrived at Tottenham from Wolves in 2020 and made 71 appearances.

But Spurs boss Antonio Conte has preferred to play Emerson Royal at right-back instead this season.

And soon after Doherty's departure was announced, the London club confirmed the arrival of Spain full-back Pedro Porro.

Doherty has only started seven Premier League games this season, and Conte criticised his performances in October, saying he was not seeing him in the "right way" to start every game.

Spurs are fifth in the Premier League, three points off the top four, while Atletico are fourth in La Liga and struggling to close the gap on Barcelona and Real Madrid at the top.

Doherty's fellow defender Djed Spence has also left Spurs to join French side Rennes on loan for the rest of the season.

The 22-year-old has struggled for first-team football since signing from Middlesbrough in the summer for £20m. The deal does not include an option to make the move permanent.

Analysis

Alex Howell, BBC Sport

There is a Fifa ruling that meant a temporary exit was not possible for Doherty, with clubs only permitted to send out a maximum of eight players on loan per season - a quota that Spurs have already filled.

Harry Winks, Tanguy Ndombele, Bryan Gil, Joe Rodon, Sergio Reguilon, Giovani lo Celso, Destiny Udogie and the aforementioned Spence have all left the north Londoners on various loan deals over the past seven months, meaning that Doherty had to leave on a permanent basis in order to sign for Diego Simeone's side this month.

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75 comments

  • Comment posted by David Windsor, at 23:03 31 Jan 2023

    Thought he was good at Wolves. Possibly hasn't had a fair shake at Spurs. How anyone with even middling vision can't see that he's better than Emerson Royal is quite beyond me.

  • Comment posted by JoolzMF, at 07:42 1 Feb 2023

    Ridiculous decision, not too dissimilar to them selling Trippier.
    Up until his injury towards the end of last season, he was the in-form player for Spurs. Also comfortable down both flanks.
    Yes, the Porro deal would mean limited game time. But I’d have kept Doherty over Royal any day of the week, and twice on Sundays.

  • Comment posted by Greavsie the greatest, at 22:55 31 Jan 2023

    Thanks for your efforts. Always worked very hard. Good luck.

  • Comment posted by gonemad, at 22:22 31 Jan 2023

    Best bit of business Spurs could do is cancel Levy's contract by mutual consent

    • Reply posted by SR from EG, at 22:43 31 Jan 2023

      SR from EG replied:
      There's nothing mutual about Levy £6m a year parasite

  • Comment posted by Ascotmike, at 08:34 1 Feb 2023

    Good luck Matt - treated badly by Spurs.
    Becoming a joke of a club - Conte is toxic and Levy only listens to Paratici who is clueless.
    Conte suggests there is no creativity in the squad - not really surprising when it’s full of second rate full backs
    Look down the road and see what Arsenal are doing - and quickly !

  • Comment posted by Adam Mulla, at 23:15 31 Jan 2023

    How has Emerson Royal's contract not been ripped up? Awful player who only plays well once every few games

    • Reply posted by Soaped Mouth, at 07:35 1 Feb 2023

      Soaped Mouth replied:
      Because there has to be a mutual agreement to rip up a contract.

  • Comment posted by TomCarter, at 07:58 1 Feb 2023

    Just how many £25-30 million signings have Tottenham made in recent seasons that have ended with those players leaving the club for next to nothing a couple of seasons later ?
    Tottenham are an absolute joke in the transfer market. They keep buying players who do nothing to improve the overall quality of the squad. A squad that is nowhere near good enough to challenge for the PL title.

    • Reply posted by dannyg, at 11:21 1 Feb 2023

      dannyg replied:
      league title is an unknown term to spuds.

  • Comment posted by ingmarsen, at 03:25 1 Feb 2023

    Think Atletico getting the better of Spurs with freebies and loan deals. Still a lot of deadwood hanging around like Dier, Sanchez, etc. See what happens with Royal in summer. Sorry to say the hierarchy have made us a joke club !

    • Reply posted by SpurtsGap, at 08:34 1 Feb 2023

      SpurtsGap replied:
      Made you?

      😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

      You lot a.ways were a joke club.
      Minnie Mouse wants her kit back

      😂😂😂😂😂

  • Comment posted by Candy Kanes, at 22:14 31 Jan 2023

    Landed on his feet here.

    • Reply posted by Harpsman, at 23:23 31 Jan 2023

      Harpsman replied:
      And Good Luck to him.

  • Comment posted by Display Name, at 22:52 31 Jan 2023

    He at least has a chance of winning something now.

  • Comment posted by Mordor Tourism Board, at 23:35 31 Jan 2023

    Atletico like Tottenham right backs.

  • Comment posted by Gravity always wins, at 08:57 1 Feb 2023

    Well, Daniel, you've hardly made a statement of intent during this window have you? Loaning out the promising players, keeping the deadwood and refusing to get your wallet out for a truly world class playmaker. More of the same .....

  • Comment posted by Kevin R Cox, at 23:21 31 Jan 2023

    Wolves should never have let him go in the first place. Same goes for Jota and Coady and perhaps Rui Patricio as well. What were they thinking about?

    • Reply posted by hackerjack, at 23:59 31 Jan 2023

      hackerjack replied:
      Money, which is what the Portuguese farm system in the midlands is ultimately about, getting Jorge's guys in the shop window for the next big move.

  • Comment posted by Daventry pirate , at 23:42 31 Jan 2023

    A great move for the player.

  • Comment posted by Ronnie rocket , at 23:28 31 Jan 2023

    How on earth has a supposed top coach let two players go but kept the worst of them all. Maybe Conte had a holiday in Brazil and had an illigitimate son.

    • Reply posted by Jockney, at 00:48 1 Feb 2023

      Jockney replied:
      I didn't think Dier was Brazilian ?

  • Comment posted by Dominic, at 22:37 31 Jan 2023

    Question... Do Spurs want to win anything?

    • Reply posted by Jason Baines , at 22:54 31 Jan 2023

      Jason Baines replied:
      Er no 🤪.Ask a silly question, get a silly answer

  • Comment posted by Paul humphreys , at 07:49 1 Feb 2023

    Nice Man, treated very poorly!

  • Comment posted by Paul56, at 07:55 1 Feb 2023

    Anybody else who wasted over £200 million of the companies money would be out of a job .

    • Reply posted by JN37, at 08:53 1 Feb 2023

      JN37 replied:
      Are you talking about Conte? Because 1. Spurs haven't spent £200 pound since he joined. 2. He hasn't negotiate any transfers for the club. 3. A number of said transfers were players he publicly didn't want or was even unaware the club was signing nvm someone he told them he wanted

  • Comment posted by Muro di Sormano, at 07:48 1 Feb 2023

    Cracking player when given a chance

  • Comment posted by Ash, at 22:35 31 Jan 2023

    Absolute travesty that this has happened as spurs were already at their limit of loaned players, with the likes of Ndombele still on the books.

    • Reply posted by RichardRichard, at 22:47 31 Jan 2023

      RichardRichard replied:
      But he has not been loaned.

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