Tottenham need to add more depth to their squad in the transfer market, but internal solutions will also play a part.
Ange Postecoglou suffered from a lack of depth to help cope with injuries last season, which ultimately led to the Australian’s dismissal, and Thomas Frank will hope to avoid a similar fate.
Tottenham are back in the UEFA Champions League next year, but will need to reinforce their squad across a variety of positions.
Depth at centre-back was an issue last season as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven both missed a lot of games. However, Tottenham might already have an ideal solution.
Frank wants to keep Ashley Phillips amid transfer interest
Spurs have several exciting young prospects rising through the ranks, and Ashley Phillips is held in high regard at the club.
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Phillips spent last season on loan at Championship side Stoke City and was impressive as he made 39 appearances across all competitions.
The 19-year-old performed so well that several clubs want to sign him, but Frank has other plans.
As reported by Alan Nixon via his Patreon (22 June), Frank is a big admirer of Phillips and wants to keep him in his squad next season, despite Sheffield United’s interest in signing the centre-back.
The Blades were one of a number of Championship clubs keen on signing Phillips on loan, with Stoke City also interested in a return. However, Frank has put off interested parties.
Phillips can feature regularly next season
Spurs will have a lot of games next season as they return to the Champions League, and will have to rotate a lot at centre-back across all competitions.
This means that despite Romero and van de Ven nailing down the starting spots, there will be plenty of regular minutes for the backup options.
Kevin Danso and Phillips are set to be the main cover, and if Frank switches to a back-three formation, both will have a huge part to play.
Phillips is a top prospect at centre-back, and will add a lot of height to the defence at 1.98 metres tall. Therefore, he will hope to be given a run in pre-season as Frank makes his mark on the squad.