‘It doesn’t look good’ for Matt Doherty at Tottenham as ‘desperate’ claim made by pundit
Matt Doherty’s sudden return to the Tottenham first team is the club putting him in the shop window.
That’s according to former Hibernian striker Tam McManus, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the right-back’s future.
Doherty, 30, has struggled for game time this season, only starting four Premier League games, though this includes Boxing Day’s 2-2 draw with Brentford.
Despite criticism, Emerson Royal has been Antonio Conte’s right-back of choice in the Premier League and Champions League.
After scoring in a friendly against Nice on Wednesday (21 December), Doherty scored four times during Spurs’ mid-season friendlies.
McManus claims these recent first-team outings could lead to a January sale.
“He hasn’t played much and just before the window opens he is coming into the team, it looks like a shop window thing to me,” McManus told Football Insider‘s Ben Wild.
“That might not be the case, Tottenham might just be desperate. But if a player like Emerson Royal has been playing ahead of you all season, it doesn’t look good.
“He could be one Spurs look to move on because I don’t think Conte thinks he’s good enough. He would be playing more if that was the case.
“He’s a proven Premier League player so they should have no problem finding a new club for him.“
Doherty joined Spurs from Wolves in the summer of 2020.
He has made 67 appearances for the club.
In other news, one expert fears Tottenham will fall behind rivals after a ‘very worrying’ update