Tottenham could be set to make a tidy profit on a player who is yet to make his debut for their first team. Reports claim that Championship side Sheffield United are interested in highly-rated defender Ashley Phillips.
Spurs signed the 20-year-old from Blackburn for £2million in 2023. He has spent the last two seasons on loan at Plymouth and Stoke, respectively. However, the England youth international could be on the move again ahead of next season. Sheffield United are said to be monitoring a potential move that might see Spurs receive around £6m for a player who has never played for them.
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According to The Sun, the Blades are ready to pay the fee but the transfer hinges on new Spurs boss Thomas Frank changing his mind. At the moment, the former Brentford head coach is keen to see Phillips in his first-team squad.
Spurs beat strong competition from their Premier League rivals to sign Phillips two years ago. He won Plymouth’s Young Player of the Year award in 2023-24 as the club won promotion from League One to the Championship.
The youngster, who also qualifies to play for Wales, impressed at Stoke last season and helped them avoid relegation from the second tier by a mere two points. There would be a different challenge at Sheffield United, who will be attempting to win promotion to the Premier League after their failed play-off campaign in May.
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Spurs are yet to sign any new players since Frank’s appointment was confirmed. As expected, loans for Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich and Kevin Danso from Lens were made permanent at the end of last season.
The Telegraph claims that Spurs are interested in signing Mohammed Kudus from West Ham in a deal that would see the clubs do business for the first time since 2011. Kudus was also reportedly being monitored by Chelsea, but the Blues are busy completing deals for fellow forwards Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro.
Spurs are in the market for a forward this season, despite boasting strength in their attacking options. Son Heung-min will hope for a better season after his contract was extended, while Wilson Odobert missed much of the last campaign through injury after joining from Burnley. Tel, Richarlison and Mikey Moore can all play out wide, too.