Tottenham Hotspur have terminated Matt Doherty's contract in a shock last-minute move to get the player to Atletico Madrid.
Spurs are looking like signing Pedro Porro before the end of the window and part of that has relied on players leaving. Djed Spence has gone on loan to Rennes to increase the chances of Spurs getting Porro over the line, with Doherty expected to follow.
But it's not a loan – with Tottenham terminating his contract in order to get him off the books.
According to Sky Sports, the Lilywhites have cancelled the rest of his contract in order to force the move because of loan restrictions.
Tottenham have too many players out on loan to push through another to Atletico – and with Doherty wanting to go, Spurs have waived the rest of his deal.
Tottenham fans have been vocal in recent weeks over the direction of the club and the lack of investment from the board, with plenty of protests about the board. The move for Porro was thought to be off at one point, too, with Spurs perhaps feeling pressure to push through this move as a priority for Antonio Conte.
It was originally thought that the north Londoners would not have more than around £30 million in total to spend this month – but Porro is thought to cost £10m more than that.
While the Porro signing will likely do little to ease fan unrest towards chairman Daniel Levy, Porro could be a big factor in helping Tottenham to make the top four.
Porro is valued at €25m by Transfermarkt.
More Tottenham stories
Three England stars are on the radar for Spurs. Tottenham have been linked with a shock swoop for Harry Maguire, who could leave Manchester United this year. James Maddison could be about to leave Leicester, meanwhile, according to their manager Brendan Rodgers. Jordan Pickford has also been touted for a transfer.
Piero Hincapie is being linked with a big summer move and Pedro Porro could be on his way. In terms of outgoings, however, the big rumours are linking Harry Kane with an exit – this time to Real Madrid.
In other news, there have been rumours recently that PSG's Qatari ownership are interested in investing in Spurs.
