‘Sheffield Utd to announce Phillips transfer in days’ as Tottenham deal agreed
Tottenham centre-back Ashley Phillips once again looks set to head out on loan.
Phillips has spent the past year and a half on loan from Tottenham since signing for the Lilywhites from Blackburn Rovers two summers ago.
The 19-year-old featured for Plymouth Argyle during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign before spending last season with Stoke City.
And it looks as though Phillips could once again be headed for the Championship after a brand-new transfer agreement in North London.
Tottenham to sign Japanese centre-back Kōta Takai
It has been widely reported that Tottenham have agreed a deal to sign Kawasaki Frontale centre-back Kōta Takai for £5million, a record fee for a player from the J-League.
As a result, this could push Phillips toward the exit door at Tottenham.
It was recently reported that Frank is a huge admirer of Phillips and wants the England youth international as part of his squad next season [Alan Nixon], despite loan interest from Sheffield United and Stoke.
| Player | Appearances | Goals | Minutes |
| Ashley Phillips | 39 | 1 | 3.409′ |
However, the arrival of another young defender could convince Phillips to demand a Tottenham exit as he seeks regular playing time, and Sheffield United would certainly be in a strong position to sign the defender.
The Blades are almost always in contention for Premier League promotion and narrowly missed out to Sunderland in the play-off final last season. This could appeal to Phillips, who could be in with a chance of winning the Championship with Sheffield United.
Therefore, with the number of centre-backs Tottenham already have, a total which is about to increase by one, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Phillips’ loan exit to Sheffield United sanctioned, with an announcement potentially set to come within days.
Phillips needs to be loaned out
Frank should reconsider his decision to integrate Phillips into the first team and instead send him out for a season-long loan.
The defensive competition at Tottenham is tough enough as it is, with one of the best backlines in the league when fit. The addition of Takai will make gametime an even harder feat for Phillips next season.
If the young defender does remain at Spurs, he could see his playing time reduced by well over half after making 39 appearances for Stoke City last season.
Therefore, to avoid slowing down his growth, Phillips should be sent out on one final loan.
Sign up for the daily Tottenham News newsletter on Substack and our new WhatsApp channel to have all the latest, breaking Tottenham Hotspur news sent straight to your phone.