Crystal Palace and Wolves are now interested in signing Matt Doherty – who was released by Tottenham in January.
What’s the story?
Well – according to 90min – Crystal Palace and Wolves are both keen to sign the Republic of Ireland international on a free transfer this summer when he leaves Atlético Madrid.
Spurs terminated Doherty‘s contract back in January after agreeing to loan him to Atlético Madrid, only to realise they already had the maximum amount of players out on loan.
Sadly for the Irishman, things have not gone well in Spain.
Diego Simeone has handed Doherty just 12 minutes of action in all competitions, and 90min are claiming that he now plans to leave the Spanish giants when his six-month contract expires in July.
Burnley and Sheffield United are also said to be interested in signing the 31-year-old.
If Wolves won the race to sign Doherty, it would signal a reunion between the pair – the defender made 302 appearances for the Old Gold, scoring 28 goals while also providing 41 assists before joining Tottenham in a £14.7m deal.
Wolves icon Matt Doherty should choose Crystal Palace
In our view, Doherty would have the best chance of getting his career back on track if he joined Crystal Palace.
The south Londoners have a vacancy at right-back with the Irishman’s name all over it, as they look to find a fresh option in that area.
Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne – aged 33 and 32 respectively – have both failed to nail down a starting role, with the pair also struggling to offer much offensively when they do play, which is a big problem in the modern game.
With Tyrick Mitchell far from an attack minded left-back, Crystal Palace need at least one full-back who can make an impact going forward, something Doherty was arguably one of the best at during his time in England.
Having said that, Doherty spent a decade at Wolves, so he may feel that his best chance of resurrecting his career would be a return to familiar surroundings.
Whatever happens, the Atlético Madrid No.12 is a fine footballer, and he surely won’t be short of offers this summer.
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