Daniel Levy is acting out of the ordinary in this transfer window. Finally, he is acting much more rapidly and signing Premier League proven players, and the next through the door looks set to be Wolves full-back Matt Doherty.
Matt Doherty player profile:
Age: 28 (16 Jan 1992) Foot: Right Nationality: Irish Height: 182cm
How does he fit in at Spurs?
Doherty is first of all a Premier League proven player. When was the last time a Spurs fan could say that for a new signing before this window?
The Irishman is second to Trent Alexander-Arnold for attacking output from right-back in the last 2 seasons, a position in recent seasons at Tottenham which has lacked any consistent performances.
This attacking style from the fullback position fits the vision that Jose Mourinho has been trying to embed at his time at Spurs. In many matches we see Spurs defending as a back 4 with Serge Aurier on the right, but adjusting to 3 at the back with Serge being allowed to roam forward when attacking and in possession.
Serge going forward was occasionally a threat, despite him having put nearly the most crosses from that position this season. But when he was high up the pitch he would often get caught out not tracking back allowing Spurs to be exposed out wide.
With no back up and his team-mate Ben Davies not possessing the attacking qualities, Doherty fits the profile that Jose needs to attack with 3 but defend with 4.
In comparison with other Premier League defenders, Doherty was 3rd for the most assists in the 19/20 season, a number you can expect to rise with players like Harry Kane, Heung Min Son and Lucas in the box.
Doherty doesn't just assist though, he had 4 goals last season, the best for any defender in the league. He even had 33 shots in the box last year too, whilst Aurier had 9, just highlighting his attacking qualities on the right hand side.
With Jose by his side, Doherty could thrive on that right-hand side which was clearly a big part of Jose Mourinho's plans to attack with 3 at the back.
Just as Chelsea have signed Ben Chilwell for £50M, Levy securing Doherty to fill a squad hole for around £15M respectively is some remarkable business.
Signing Doherty isn't a flashy, massive statement signing that a lot of fans crave nowadays. He is, however, a very smart addition as he solves the right back issue in a Levy-friendly manner whilst also making Jose happy.