Championship outfit Stoke have confirmed the signing of 21-year-old Doughty from League One club Charlton for an undisclosed fee.
The youngster’s contract at Charlton was due to run out in the summer and he had attracted transfer interest from a host of clubs in England and Scotland this month.
However, Stoke have successfully beaten off the competition for the signature of the Englishman, who Potters boss O’Neill has been a long term admirer of.
A fan of Doughty, O’Neill has expressed his delight at having won the race for the acquisition of the player, who he feels fits Stoke’s profile well.
“We are delighted to get Alife in“, O’Neill told the Potters’ official site.
“He fits the profile of type of player we want to bring to the club – he is young, keen and wants to prove himself.
“Unfortunately, he’s injured at present but we have taken the opportunity to sign him now because he was much in demand and we have beaten off a great deal of competition.”
Doughty made ten appearances across all competitions for Charlton this season, contributing three goals in the process.
