Ashley Phillips and Luka Vušković will both be keen to make their mark at Tottenham.
Tottenham signed Vušković from Hajduk Split and Phillips from Blackburn Rovers in 2023.
Phillips has spent the last season and a half on loan in the Championship, first with Plymouth Argyle for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, before joining Stoke City for the season last summer.
Meanwhile, with Vušković unable to join Tottenham until after his 18th birthday, the teenager has also spent the last year and a half on loan, spending six months with Radomiak Radom before a successful season with K.V.C. Westerlo last time out.
Now, both defenders will be looking to make an impression on Thomas Frank in North London during pre-season.
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Vušković could be preferred over Phillips next season
As reported by Alan Nixon via his Patreon (22 June), Sheffield United want to sign Phillips on loan, but Frank is keen to have the young centre-back as part of his squad next season.
However, it has been suggested that Phillips will demand a loan move this summer to continue his development away from Tottenham, where he is unlikely to play many minutes.
And Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes Vušković’s arrival could clear the path for Phillips to make that move.
“It will be interesting to see what happens with Vušković,” Wenham said.
“If he can hit the ground running, he might be the defender that Frank decides to keep around while he gets acclimatised to English football.
“Therefore, that could open the door for Phillips and Alfie Dorrington to be sent out on loan. However, we will need to wait and see what happens there.”
Tottenham should loan Phillips out this summer
Tottenham are widely reported to have signed Kawasaki Frontale centre-back Kōta Takai in a deal worth £5million.
This, along with the arrival of Vušković, could push Phillips further down the pecking order at Tottenham. Therefore, even if Frank wants to keep the England youth international this season, a loan move this summer might make more sense.
Allowing Phillips to join another club where he is going to play regularly will help his development.