Wolverhampton Wanderers have confirmed on their official website about the departure of Matt Doherty, who joined Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee after having a long and productive career at the Molineux Stadium. With the Republic of Ireland international sealing a move to North London, Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo will now have a real headache in his hands as he will have to find a suitable replacement for the experienced wing-back this summer.
At the moment, the West Midlands outfit are short of right-back options with Oskar Buur serving as the only recognised choice in that position. Hence, Wolves will have to cope with the dire economic conditions brought about by the COVID-19 crisis as they attempt to land a new player who will be able to fill Doherty’s shoes on the right flank.
Here are three replacements for Doherty that Nuno Espirito Santo should consider in this off-season.
Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City)
The Portuguese right-back has enjoyed a successful spell in England so far despite missing several matches last season because of a cruciate ligament injury. The 26-year-old featured in 70 games for Leicester City, scoring six goals and providing ten assists across all fronts. If Pereira can show a clean bill of health and rediscover his old form, then he could prove to be a capable replacement for Doherty at the Molineux Stadium this summer.
Pereira is a fantastic two-way player as evident from his average of 4.3 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 2.6 clearances, 0.6 shots, 1.0 key passes and 2.1 dribbles per game in the Premier League (stats via whoscored). His effectiveness at both ends of the field makes him an expensive yet ideal option for Wolves to consider during this ongoing transfer window.
Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa)
The 32-year-old might not be the best option for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in the long-run, but he will undoubtedly be an immediate fix to their right-back problems. Elmohamady has made a career of playing as a right-back or in an advanced role as a right wing-back.
He made a total of 183 appearances in the Premier League, registering six goals and 14 assists in all competitions. The Egyptian defender has currently got less than a year remaining in his Aston Villa contract, so he could be available for a bargain fee if Wolves decide to opt for his services this summer.
Danny da Costa (Eintracht Frankfurt)
The German full-back is an experienced campaigner in the Bundesliga after establishing himself as a regular feature on the right side of Adi Hütter’s defence. He picked up four goals and ten assists in 37 games for the German outfit in the last term across various competitions.
Da Costa was an all-around performer for the Frankfurt-based team as he averaged 1.4 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 1.2 clearances, 0.9 shots, 1.2 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per 90 minutes in 2019-20 Bundesliga campaign (stats via whoscored). The 27-year-old is currently playing some of the best football of his career, so he could turn out to be a decent replacement for Doherty at the West Midlands club next season.
