Middlesbrough are edging closer to a breakthrough in negotiations for Tottenham defender Ashley Phillips. Talks are progressing over an agreement between the two clubs after the deal had previously been described as difficult to negotiate.
Phillips set for permanent Spurs exit
The England Under-21 international has significant Championship experience after loan spells at Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City over the last two seasons. With first-team opportunities limited at Spurs following the arrivals of centre-backs Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi, Phillips is set to leave the north London club permanently in search of regular minutes.
Spurs hope to pocket a significant profit on the £2m they paid for him in 2022. Phillips, who has over 100 Championship appearances, would become the seventh signing of the summer for Kim Hellberg's side.
Middlesbrough's promotion push
Middlesbrough want Phillips to help aid their push for promotion to the Premier League after their play-off final defeat to Hull City last season. The 21-year-old is the latest Spurs player on Middlesbrough's radar after they completed the signing of striker Will Lankshear last month for a fee that could rise to a club-record £20m.
Spurs have been keen to maximise player sales this summer and believe that if they cannot offer regular first-team minutes to their academy players, then they will look to negotiate their permanent exits.
Academy graduates leaving Spurs
Phillips would become the third academy graduate to leave Spurs this summer after Lankshear, Alfie Devine and Tynan Thompson, who joined Manchester United for a fee that could reach up to £8m. Spurs also negotiated the exit of highly rated centre-half Luka Vuskovic to Brighton for a fee in the region of £46m despite the Croatian having failed to make a senior appearance for the club.
