Tottenham Hotspur: Journalist identifies headache for Antonio Conte

Journalist Dean Jones claims Matt Doherty has given Antonio Conte something to think about after his recent impressive performances for Tottenham Hotspur.

Doherty signed for Spurs from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020 for around £15m, but he failed to make an instant impact as he made just 17 appearances last term, with just 13 of them being starts.

The 30-year-old defender had a tough start to the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, and he was seriously out of favour. He started just twice before the 23rd February, but since then, he has seemingly turned his form around as he has started Spurs’ last six Premier League games.

With the recent turnaround for Doherty at Spurs, Jones told GiveMeSport that he has given Conte ‘something to think about’ ahead of the summer transfer window.

He said: “I think he’s given Conte something to think about. And I certainly think he’s helped himself stay in the picture at Tottenham.”

TIF Thoughts on Dean Jones’ comments…

Doherty looked to be a completely different player in the early stages of his Spurs career compared to the one that played for Wolves which earned him the move. But his recent form has perhaps eliminated some question marks over his ability as a player amid uncertainty about his future in north London.

In the Premier League this term, Doherty has an average player rating of 7.1/10, which included a particularly impressive performance against Everton, where he was awarded a 9.3 rating after grabbing two assists, as per SofaScore. Doherty has started to produce in terms of goal contributions during his recent run of form, recording three assists and two goals in his last six Premier League games.

The upcoming transfer window will be Conte’s first summer in charge as Spurs boss, and before the good form of Doherty, it was expected that a right wing-back would be high up his list. However, the recent form of the Irishman may have changed his mind.