A 'forgotten' Tottenham Hotspur player will probably never play for the club again unless he makes a big impression on Roberto De Zerbi in pre-season, according to Football London correspondent Alasdair Gold.
The biggest focus around Tottenham in this summer transfer window is the fact they have been the busiest Premier League club by signing six new players, all while breaking their transfer record twice to sign Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United, and then Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United.
Spurs chiefs are showing De Zerbi that they mean business ahead of next season, and more new additions will be on the way in the frontline too, with Manchester City winger Savinho and Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi two of their top targets in attack.
Of course, with the potential of eight or nine new signings arriving in one transfer window, it means that players need to go too.
Alfie Devine, Radu Dragusin, Luka Vuskovic and Yves Bissouma are among those who have already gone, with more expected to join them.
Guglielmo Vicario, Djed Spence, Cristian Romero, Pape Matar Sarr, Archie Gray, Richarlison and Manor Solomon are just some of the first-team players linked with moves away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while some younger players could also leave.
Gold: Ashley Phillips Will Probably 'Never Play for Tottenham'
Tottenham signed the highly-rated Ashley Phillips for a fee in the region of £2m from Blackburn Rovers in 2023, but the 21-year-old has never made a senior first-team appearance for Spurs.
The 6 ft 4 centre-back has had loan moves away from the club at Plymouth Argyle and then two successive seasons at Stoke City, where he was nominated for the Young Championship Player of the Year award last season for his performances for the Potters.
Phillips has the chance to impress De Zerbi in pre-season but given the Italian currently has Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul Van Hecke, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso and Cristian Romao, although the Argentina international is expected to leave, as his centre-back options, it's difficult to see much of an opportunity for him.
It is a feeling backed up by Gold who, after seeing another promising young centre-back in Vuskovic leave, believes the same fate may be facing the Manchester-born defender.
In his latest YouTube video, Gold said:
"Ashley Phillips has probably been the best forgotten centre-back that Tottenham have. He's had such a terrific couple of years at Stoke.
He was nominated for Young Championship Player of the Year last year, but will probably, like Vuskovic, never play for Tottenham. I would absolutely love it if he had a terrific pre-season and De Zerbi said 'what have you done with this guy?'
Tottenham Decide Star 'Untouchable' After Exit Talk
While Tottenham seem open to losing their club captain Romero this summer, they have made it clear to any potential suitors that his centre-back partner Van de Ven is 'untouchable', according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Netherlands international has been linked with the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona in recent months, but Spurs and De Zerbi have made it clear that he is going nowhere.
The Italian is said to see the Dutchman as a vital piece of his Spurs rebuild, and the player himself has actually been open to extending his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium rather than seeking a move away, according to GIVEMESPORT sources.