His contract was terminated by Spurs.
Spurs have released a strange statement to confirm the news that Matt Doherty has signed for Atletico Madrid.
Throughout the entirety of the day, Doherty appeared to be going to Madrid on loan, in what was surely a dream move for the player, but it seems as though it is even better than that.
Doherty looks to have signed for Atletico Madrid permanently, as Spurs have terminated his contract.
Matt Doherty signs for Atletico Madrid
In a statement released on Tuesday night, Spurs wrote: “We have mutually agreed to the termination of Matt Doherty’s contract to enable him to join another club.
“Signed from Wolverhampton Wanderers in August, 2020, the Republic of Ireland international made 71 appearances for us in all competitions, scoring three goals.
“We should like to thank Matt for his service and wish him well for the future.”
🇮🇪 ¡@mattdoherty20 es nuevo jugador rojiblanco! 🔴⚪
🖊 El internacional irlandés ha firmado con nuestro club por lo que resta de temporada.
👋 ¡#BienvenidoDoherty! 😊 pic.twitter.com/HRGjdYp0aP
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) January 31, 2023
While it looks bizarre on paper that Spurs have seemingly terminated Doherty’s contract out of nowhere, there does seem to be some logic in the decision.
Atletico did not seem willing to pay a fee for Doherty, while Spurs wanted him off the books so that they could confirm the signing of Pedro Porro.
Sky Sports News made the point that due to Fifa’s rules, teams can only have a certain amount of players out on loan at one time.
With Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Harry Winks and others all on loan from Spurs at present, Spurs had to lose Doherty as a player if they wanted him to leave the club in any capacity.
What a sight to behold 😍 pic.twitter.com/whUJ5zUzGf
— Kenny's Kids (@KennysKids) January 31, 2023
While Doherty’s strengths on the football pitch have normally been the attacking side of his game, being coached by Simeone would inevitably improve his defending too, which would be music to the ears of Stephen Kenny, and Irish football fans in general.
Doherty becomes the first Irishman to play for one of Spain’s “big three”, which consists of Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
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