Republic of Ireland defender Matt Doherty has joined Atletico Madrid on a short-term deal after his contract with Tottenham Hotspur was terminated by mutual consent.
The 31-year-old has made the surprising move to La Liga, with Spurs releasing a statement that both parties agreed to the move “to enable him to join another club”.
Doherty will become the first Republic of Ireland senior international to play in La Liga since Steve Finnan’s spell at Espanyol in 2008-09, signing a deal until the end of the season.
The Dubliner will be presented to fans tomorrow at the Civitas Metropolitano auditorium from 11.30am Irish time.
Atlético currently occupies fourth place in the league standings, and remains under the guidance of Diego Simeone.
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) January 31, 2023
Doherty has flitted in and out of the Tottenham starting XI in 2022-23, having incurred a knee injury last April, but the Ireland full-back did score his first Premier League goal of the season in their 4-0 win over Crystal Palace at the beginning of January.
He has played just 44 times in the Premier League for Spurs since joining in 2020, enjoying his best spell at the club last season under Antonio Conte, shortly before his injury late last season.
Previously, Kevin Moran (Sporting Gijon), Ian Harte (Levante) and Michael Robinson (Osasuna) have all played in Spain, while John Aldridge famously enjoyed an excellent two-year stint at Real Sociedad.
“We have mutually agreed to the termination of Matt Doherty’s contract to enable him to join another club,” a Spurs statement said.
“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.”
Meanwhile UCD midfielder Dylan Duffy has joined League 1 side Lincoln City.
The 20-year-old chose the Imps ahead of a host of clubs in the Sky Bet Championship and League One following his impressive performances for the Students.
He spent a year with UCD after a spell in the Shamrock Rovers academy.
Fellow former Hoops player Danny Mandroiu is one of a host of Irish players already at the club.
Imps director of football Jez George said: “Firstly, I would like to thank UCD for the way in which they have worked with us to provide Dylan with this opportunity. We really respect how they provide a platform for talented young footballers in Ireland to combine education with football at their highest level domestically.
“Their manager Andy Myler did a fantastic job in keeping their team in the Premier Division last season, balancing what is best for each individual with being competitive in the league. Dylan’s progress is testament to that.
“Dylan is a talented young player, with exciting attacking attributes and potential, who will excite our fans once he has transitioned into full-time training, as he makes the huge step up into League One. We will give him time to do that, and look forward to the impact that he can make for us in the future.”