Matt Doherty D Wolves b.1992

[ExplainThis]

Seems to me Matt is in full wind-down mode in terms of his career ambitions. Don't think I could blame him either, got the big contact in Spurs, took the contract pay-out and got a chance to get another big contract in Spain for a couple years. Probably not overly concerned about how many games he'll get there. Come back to England after, into Championship level and coast to retirement.

[Eirambler]

He only has a contract in Spain until the summer. He'll be back in the Premier League next year I'd say, just with a team lower down the table than Tottenham. Or possibly a lower profile team in one of the major European leagues.

[seanfhear]

A few months under Simone wouldn't do anyone any harm. You have to make the best of these chances / experiences.

[JR89]

He only has a contract in Spain until the summer. He'll be back in the Premier League next year I'd say, just with a team lower down the table than Tottenham. Or possibly a lower profile team in one of the major European leagues.

Wouldn't be surprised if he ends up in Italy. As for PL teams is there anyone that plays a back five consistently who'd sign him. Brentford are the only team which I can think of that 3-5-2 is their formation of choice. Don't think they'd be looking to sign him.

If Sheffield United get promoted would be a cracking signing for them and they need to strengthen at WB but will be favourites to get relegated. So couldn't see him going to them.

[joey B]

13 minutes of league football since the 4th of February,would have been better off staying at Spurs probably,I’d imagine he might have been starting a few games considering where they’re at currently!

[elatedscum]

13 minutes of league football since the 4th of February,would have been better off staying at Spurs probably,I’d imagine he might have been starting a few games considering where they’re at currently!

Yeah, him and Nathan Collins and Shane Duffy all haven't started a league game since the January window ended. Really not ideal...

[Razors left peg]

Both Collins and Doherty were excellent against France though so Im not too worried about it yet. If by next season neither are still starting games it could be a big problem

[pineapple stu]

Released by Atletico according to the Sun

What a disaster that turned out to be.

[SkStu]

was he loaned there?

[pineapple stu]

No - his Spurs contract was paid up to allow him move permanently. Either Spurs or Atletico had too many loan deals so it had to be a permanent move.

[Razors left peg]

Doherty is still good enough to get a good Premiership move.

[seanfhear]

I assume Matt Doherty has done very well financially out of this.

Hopefully he gets a good move presuming he still wants one.

[pineapple stu]

If nothing else, Spurs appear to have paid his contract up to the end of next season, so while at Atletico he was basically on double time, and would be on double time again next season if he can get a half-way decent deal.

[Yard of Pace]

No - his Spurs contract was paid up to allow him move permanently. Either Spurs or Atletico had too many loan deals so it had to be a permanent move.

It was Spurs who hadn't bothered to keep track of their loans so Doherty went on a permanent deal with Spurs paying his contract off.

Even if he got minutes I reckon he was better off out of there and 6 months of experience with Simeone will surely stand him in good stead. I don't think there was a week where he wasn't on the bench. That's no mean feat.

Trippier is considered by many to be Newcastle's best player due to his experience at Atletico turning from good to great.

[John83]

One positive here is that as a free agent at this point, he should be able to square away terms soon enough to get a full pre-season wherever he winds up.

Given the concerns about Aaron Wan-Bissaka's attacking prowess (he's done better recently, but probably isn't right long term), Dalot's injury record, and their regular need to move Shaw to centre half, would Doherty be a tempting option for Machester United? He'd probably do better in a more attack-minded team anyway. Arsenal spent much of the season with a centre half at right back too, and are short of squad depth.

Granted, it's probably better for us if he winds up somewhere he starts every week.

[zero]

One positive here is that as a free agent at this point, he should be able to square away terms soon enough to get a full pre-season wherever he winds up.

Given the concerns about Aaron Wan-Bissaka's attacking prowess (he's done better recently, but probably isn't right long term), Dalot's injury record, and their regular need to move Shaw to centre half, would Doherty be a tempting option for Machester United? He'd probably do better in a more attack-minded team anyway. Arsenal spent much of the season with a centre half at right back too, and are short of squad depth.

Granted, it's probably better for us if he winds up somewhere he starts every week.

i cannot imagine a scenario in which utd would even consider him. he'll want decent wages and a 2 year contract before wrapping things up - forest maybe if he's lucky. otherwise the championship beckons.

[JR89]

i cannot imagine a scenario in which utd would even consider him. he'll want decent wages and a 2 year contract before wrapping things up - forest maybe if he's lucky. otherwise the championship beckons.

And the fact he likely needs to be playing WB rather than FB to be effective. Doubt any top half PL will look at him. More likely to join Sheffield United or Nottingham Forest. Doherty should look and see what interest might be there in Italy. Think he'd do well in Serie A.

[seanfhear]

I wouldn't mind being in his position. He should get a very good deal somewhere.

[Jd2793]

doherty is poor in possession , he;d be useless at utd. his best attribute is his off the ball runs. dont think he'd get a lot of mileage out of them at a team that'd be expected to have most of the ball in like 80% of their games

[CraftyToePoke]

Villa are in Europe, they will need to deepen the squad if their league campaign isn't to suffer ( as West Hams did for example ) & brings that bit of experience. Wishful thinking probably but it would suit him them & us well.

[tetsujin1979]

Mendes is his agent, he has contacts all across Europe, he'll get something for Doherty
Maybe one of the club's in Portugal, sporting are playing in the Europa League next season. Would be a good move for him.

[Razors left peg]

doherty is poor in possession , he;d be useless at utd. his best attribute is his off the ball runs. dont think he'd get a lot of mileage out of them at a team that'd be expected to have most of the ball in like 80% of their games

I couldnt disagree more. Doherty is excellent in possession. Its the thing that stood out most in his game against France. There were a few times, especially in the first half that he got the ball and kept it at times we needed it. In an Ireland team where we have been trying to build with possession I think it was massively understated when we missed him through injury in the last campaign. I just think hes an all round very good footballer.

[elatedscum]

If I were brighton, I’d offer him a deal. I love Lamptey but he’s injury prone and has a lot to learn and they spend a lot of last season playing a centre back (Veltman) or a centre midfielder (Caicedo) there

[JR89]

In talks with clubs from Saudi Arabia.

1670865803179163648

[Thewhitepele]

Please no..

[Trequartista20]

Set to re-sign for Wolves.

https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2023/07/10/wolves-in-advanced-talks-to-re-sign-defender-matt-doherty/

[Olé Olé]

Good move for Ireland isn't it? The Saudi league is obviously seeing an influx but can't compare in terms of competitiveness. Hopefully he gets a good share of games there and a bit of form.

[tetsujin1979]

Has to be seen that way, but I think Wolves will struggle this season. They've already sold Collins, Coady, Neves, and Kilman. That's a lot of first team players to lose in a short space of time, including their club captain.
And, despite bringing in north of £75 million in transfer fees for those four, they've only spent money in one transfer so far - £9.5m on turning Traore's loan from Metz into a permanent contract - with four other arrivals signing on free transfers, as well as Doherty.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023%E2%80%9324_Wolverhampton_Wanderers_F.C._seaso n#Transfers

[EalingGreen]

And, despite bringing in north of £75 million in transfer fees for those four, [Wolves have] only spent money in one transfer so far - £9.5m on turning Traore's loan from Metz into a permanent contract - with four other arrivals signing on free transfers, as well as Doherty.
(From last September)
"Wolves have signed exciting Mali midfielder Boubacar Traore on a season-long loan, subject to visa and work permit.
As part of the deal, Wolves hold an option to turn the move permanent next summer, which will also happen automatically should certain clauses be triggered."
https://www.wolves.co.uk/news/mens-first-team/20220901-traore-signs-for-wolves/

Apparently those clauses were triggered, meaning they had no choice but to buy him. Which would fit with the general picture from Molineux i.e. that Wolves are beyond skint.

[third policeman]

In talks to re-sign for Wolves apparently

https://www.teamtalk.com/wolves/exclusive-deal-to-re-sign-matt-doherty-agreed-julen-lopetegui-gives-green-light-transfer-crystal-palace-target

[tetsujin1979]

(From last September)
"Wolves have signed exciting Mali midfielder Boubacar Traore on a season-long loan, subject to visa and work permit.
As part of the deal, Wolves hold an option to turn the move permanent next summer, which will also happen automatically should certain clauses be triggered."
https://www.wolves.co.uk/news/mens-first-team/20220901-traore-signs-for-wolves/

Apparently those clauses were triggered, meaning they had no choice but to buy him. Which would fit with the general picture from Molineux i.e. that Wolves are beyond skint.
Despite joining in September. He only played 11 times for them across the season, so the clauses must have had some low settings

[EalingGreen]

Despite joining in September. He only played 11 times for them across the season, so the clauses must have had some low settingsSeemingly so.

This is what the local paper was saying in mid-December:

"Boubacar Traore's loan at Wolves is set to be made permanent as clauses in the deal to bring him to Molineux are to be triggered, the Express & Star understands.

Wolves signed the 21-year-old in the dying hours of the summer transfer window on a season-long loan from French club Metz, with a £9.5million option to buy him next summer.

However, Wolves also confirmed that the loan would automatically become permanent if certain clauses were triggered.

Now, the Express & Star understands that the £9.5million deal is set to be triggered on his appearances in a Wolves shirt. The number of appearances needed is understood to be very low and it is a matter of when, and not if, Traore signs permanently.

The midfielder has already played nine games for Wolves and with the second half of the season to come, it is expected to be a formality that he stays with the club."
https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2022/12/11/boubacar-traore-set-to-trigger-clause-to-make-permanent-wolves-move/

I think we can take it that Traore's Agent is Jorge Mendes, so that the player's contract with Wolves was negotiated by him and he gets a cut when the deal becomes permanent.

I mean, lots of people feel that Mendes virtually runs the club, or their Recruitment operation, at least:
https://talkingwolves.co.uk/news/opinion/jorge-mendes-wolves/

No prizes for guessing who Matt Doherty's Agent is... :cool:

[EalingGreen]

Meanwhile, talking of Wolves + Low Settings, this one from January makes Traore look like a veritable bargain:

Wolves complete £44m transfer after bizarre clause triggered

Wolverhampton Wanderers have officially signed Matheus Cunha on a permanent deal after activating a clause.

Strangely, the clause that has seen Wolves pay Atletico Madrid the player's transfer fee is after he played three matches. Those appearences came against Aston Villa in the Premier League, Liverpool in the FA Cup and Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup. Cunha is yet to start a game for Wolves after coming off the bench in all three of his appearances so far.
More here: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/wolves-complete-44m-transfer-after-25964269

If Mendes does as well for his clients as he does for himself, it's no wonder The Doc doesn't need to take the Saudi cash.

[tetsujin1979]

Three appearances is a ridiculously low bar to trigger a transfer, isn't it usually at least 20?
Cunha did play 20 games for Wolves last season, and scored twice, so it probably would have gone through anyway.

[EalingGreen]

Three appearances is a ridiculously low bar to trigger a transfer, isn't it usually at least 20?
Cunha did play 20 games for Wolves last season, and scored twice, so it probably would have gone through anyway.Very true.

As against that, if a player is on 17 or 18 appearances with eg half a dozen league games remaining until the end of the season, but the owner is having second thoughts or is pushed for the transfer fee, it is not unknown for him to have a quiet word in the Manager's ear to see that the player remains on the bench until the qualifying period is over.

Of course Mendes is far too clever to fall into that trap, indeed he turns it round to use it against the club.

[elatedscum]

Three appearances is a ridiculously low bar to trigger a transfer, isn't it usually at least 20?
Cunha did play 20 games for Wolves last season, and scored twice, so it probably would have gone through anyway.

I’d expect it was some FFP workaround.

Rather than sign the player immediately- loan him, with an obligation to sign for the following season if clauses are met. Ridiculously low Loan fee paid immediately. First payment of transfer fee can be paid once clauses are met (so within weeks) - but transfer fee is pushed into next year’s accounts for FFP…

[EalingGreen]

I’d expect it was some FFP workaround.

Rather than sign the player immediately- loan him, with an obligation to sign for the following season if clauses are met. Ridiculously low Loan fee paid immediately. First payment of transfer fee can be paid once clauses are met (so within weeks) - but transfer fee is pushed into next year’s accounts for FFP…Makes sense; possibly also tax impiications?

Either way, after all this "kicking the can down the road" they look finally to have run out of road, hence the emergency sale of anyone who will fetch a fee, to be replaced by free transfers like eg Doherty.

You have to wonder, just how much has Mendes taken out of the club for himself, and how have their owners allowed him to get away with it? Unless they're benefiting in some way too?
https://www.wolves.co.uk/club/about-us/ownership/

[Fixer82]

Returning to Wolves apparently

[JR89]

Officially a Wolves player again and supposedly signed a three year deal too.

[Predator]

It will be interesting to see how he is used by Lopetegui, who I believe favoured four at the back when he came in. We know that Doherty thrives in the wing-back role more than the full-back role. He's up against Nelson Semedo and to a lesser degree Jonny, right?

[seanfhear]

Centre-back = = Doherty is destined to play centre-back.

[Predator]

Centre-back = = Doherty is destined to play centre-back.
The thought did cross my mind...

[seanfhear]

The thought did cross my mind...
It is written in the annals of the stars.

[Fixer82]

Centre-back = = Doherty is destined to play centre-back.

Really? Is he good enough in the air?

[seanfhear]

Really? Is he good enough in the air?
Is John Stones ?

[Fixer82]

Is John Stones ?
That’s not the question

[seanfhear]

Really? Is he good enough in the air?
I have not noticed that being weak in the air is a part of Matt Doherty's game ~ ~ How many big / good in the air centre forwards do you get these days ~~ I suppose that still leaves set pieces to deal with.

[JR89]

He's covered CB before but that's when Wolves played with a back three. I'd say Doherty is likely coming back to be back up that can cover RB and LB. Wouldn't be depending on him as a first choice FB.

[JR89]

Started tonight against Blackpool and Wolves have went with a back three with yours truly starting RCB. Doherty managed to score himself a brace though from CB.

[tetsujin1979]

First brace since 2019 for Doherty
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