Tottenham are closing in on another sale, with 21-year-old centre-back Ashley Phillips set to sign for Championship side Middlesbrough.
Spurs signed Phillips from Blackburn Rovers in 2023 by activating his £2m release clause, and subsequently sent him out on loan to Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City (twice).
In fact, Phillips is yet to make a competitive appearance for the club, spending the entirety of his Lilywhite career in the second tier. Now, the defender is set for a permanent stay in the Championship.
Rightly, Spurs do not regard Phillips to be of the requisite level. The centre-back room is crowded, and the club has deemed this summer, given the offer they received, as the right time to cash in.
Ashley Phillips' departure to Middlesbrough could be worth £20m
Spurs are developing quite the rapport with Middlesbrough this summer.
We've already negotiated the sale of young striker Will Lankshear to Boro in a deal that could be worth as much as £20m, and the club is now shipping Phillips to the Riverside.
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that a £7m fee has been agreed with Boro, plus add-ons. Michael Bridge believes said add-ons could total as much as £13m, with a 20% sell-on clause also included in the deal.
Phillips reportedly underwent his medical on Thursday, with confirmation imminent.
Much has been made of Tottenham's heavy spending this summer, but little discourse has focused on the club's capacity to sell. Once the Phillips deal goes through, we'd have generated £133m in sales. By the time Cristian Romero and potentially Djed Spence move on, that figure will leap beyond £200m.
Then, our window wouldn't be looking so abnormal.
We're still expecting plenty of movement on the incomings front, although Roberto De Zerbi's "bomba" is yet to manifest. Spurs are desperate to improve in attack, with Cody Gakpo and Savinho the priority targets. Together, the Premier League duo could set us back more than £130m.
Going back to Phillips, you have to expect that the add-ons will likely relate to Boro earning promotion to the Premier League, having fallen at the final hurdle last season. The 21-year-old looks comfortable in the second tier, but doesn't turn quick enough to mingle with the elites.
I know we're getting hung up on pathways for our youngsters, potentially giving up on them too soon, yet Phillips should be right at home playing for a Championship team that harbours genuine hope of soon plying their trade in the top-flight.
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