Football

Premier League Transfers: Two veterans set to secure top flight moves

July 10, 2023 11:00 pm
Premier League Transfers: Two veterans set to secure top flight moves
Aston Villa's Ashley Young (left) and Tottenham Hotspur's Ben Davies battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday January 1, 2023. - Photo by Icon sport

With five weeks to go until the start of the 2023/24 Premier League season, all 20 sides in the division are still busy trying to strengthen their squads. The majority of players are now back in pre-season training which usually means transfer activity will ramp up and today, two key deals edged closer for a pair of Premier League veterans.

Matt Doherty, who signed for Atletico Madrid in January on a short-term deal after a difficult spell at Tottenham, looks to be on the verge of a move back to the English top flight while Ashley Young has also seemingly found a new club. The ex-Manchester United man was released by Aston Villa at the end of last season and despite being 38 years old, he still has plenty to offer.

Matt Doherty transfer – A return to Wolves

After failing to establish himself at Atletico Madrid, Matt Doherty looks like he is on the way back to Wolverhampton Wanderers after Julen Lopetegui green-lit the move on Monday. The Spaniard has been keen to add a new wing-back to his squad and considering Doherty won’t cost the club any money he seems a logical option.

Doherty’s first spell at the club was hugely successful, with the wing-back a key reason for the club’s rise to the Premier League under Nuno Esperito Santo. He established himself as the club’s first-choice right wing-back and he excelled in the Premier League following promotion in 2018.

The Irishman’s performances in a Wolves shirt attracted the attention of Jose Mourinho who made Doherty a key target when he took the Tottenham job in 2019. Spurs agreed a deal to sign Doherty, who was in the last year of his contract at Wolves, for around £12m but things never quite worked out in North London.

He now has the chance to regain the form that made him one of the most respected wing-backs in the division. It is understood that Crystal Palace were also interested in Doherty but the 31-year-old has elected to rejoin Wolves in a move that makes sense for all parties.

Ashley Young transfer – A fourth Premier League club awaits

Just like Matt Doherty, Ashley Young is on the market this summer as a free agent after being released at the end of last season. Young had been an important player for Unai Emery at Aston Villa last season and many people expected him to receive another contract at the club. However, perhaps due to this age, he was let go.

Young has had plenty of interest for his signature this summer, from both teams in England and abroad, but it appears that Everton have won the battle for his signature. In recent days, Young has been heavily linked with a move to Premier League new boys, Luton Town, but Sean Dyche has got his man with the 38-year-old expected to sign a one-year deal at Goodison Park in the coming days.

Assuming the transfer goes through, Young will become the oldest debutant in Everton’s history and he will likely go straight into the starting lineup given the club’s problems at full-back.

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