Tottenham Hotspur have a veritable stable of young talent that’s not quite ready to earn a place in Thomas Frank’s first team, so it’s unsurprising that, in addition to the usual raft of incoming transfer rumors, we’re also seeing quite a few rumors about players heading out on loan. Danny Hall, writing for the Sheffield Star, has a piece today suggesting that Sheffield United are interested in both central defender Ashley Phillips and midfielder Alfie Devine next season.
United recently sacked Chris Wilder after losing in the Championship promotion playoff final to Sunderland at the end of last season; the Blades finished third in the table with 90 points, ten behind Leeds and Burnley. New boss Ruben Selles is said to want to make his mark on the team, and part of that is replacing the six players Sheffield United had on loan last season.
Phillips spent the whole of last season on loan in the second division, first with Plymouth Argyle and then with Stoke City. Alfie Devine was sent abroad to Westerlo, where he had a fine season and became something of a fan favorite. Both players are unlikely to make much of an impact on Spurs’ first team this year, but are attracting interest from a number of English clubs, including West Bromwich Albion and their new manager Ryan Mason.
Now, the piece doesn’t specifically say that United want Phillips and Devine on loan, but seriously — they’d be on loan. There’s no way that Spurs would be willing to cut bait on either player this season considering their age and ability, even if they eventually decide to make that decision further down the road.
I’m pretty sure that Sheffield United won’t be the only club that is linked to these players, as well as others who are coming up through the academy at the moment. My guess is that any loans won’t be announced until after the start of preseason training and maybe not until after the Asian preseason tour so that Frank has an opportunity to see them in action. But who knows. If it’s pretty certain that Phillips and Devine could benefit from another season on loan in the Championship, that’s not a bad outcome either.