Jeff Stelling has claimed that Matt Doherty’s exit from Tottenham Hotspur and move to Atletico Madrid was ‘on par’, in terms of surprise, with Joao Cancelo leaving Manchester City and joining Bayern Munich on loan.
The transfer window always throws up curve balls and the winter transfer window certainly threw a few up in the air.
Out of the blue, Cancelo was out of the door at the Etihad, in Germany and signing a six-month loan deal with Bayern.
Yes, the versatile defender wasn’t playing on a regular basis, at the time, but you don’t just up and leave like that for no reason, there had to be a falling out with Pep Guardiola. This is one of his key players in such an important area of the pitch.
Either way, whilst one fullback made a move to a Euro giants, Matt Doherty also got his wish after his contract at Spurs was ripped up and he moved to Spain.
Some would argue that it’s a step up for Doherty because it wasn’t so long ago that Diego Simeone’s side were champions of Spain, nonetheless, this is what Sky presenter Jeff Stelling made of it all, as he told Sky Sports News.
“I said that was the most surpassing move (Joao Cancelo leaving Man City for Bayern Munich) of the transfer window,” said Stelling. “Actually, Matt Doherty to Atletico Madrid might have been. Pretty much on a par.”
DOHERTY & CANCELO IN SPAIN AND GERMANY
Many will back Cancelo to do bits in Germany, in fact, within 20 minutes of his debut, he got an assist.
The Portugal international is perhaps considered the best fullback in the world, so he would fit in anywhere.
As for Doherty, he was struggling for minutes at Spurs, so he has swapped one highly-demanding coach in Antonio Conte, for one that makes the Italian look like he is singing nursery rhymes because Simeone is perhaps the most demanding of them all.
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