Middlesbrough backed to seal another Spurs transfer - £10m is a 'fair deal' | OneFootball

FLW’s Boro fan pundit has commented on defender Ash Phillips being linked with a move to the Riverside Stadium this summer.

Middlesbrough will be preparing for another shot at Premier League glory during the 2026-27 season.

Kim Hellberg’s men will be aiming to put their gut-wrenching play-off final defeat to Hull City behind them and be back in promotion contention next term, with Boro entering their 10th straight campaign of Championship football.

However, they will have to continue to have a squad of players that have both the stamina and quality to be situated towards the top of the table after 46 games.

So far, the Teesside outfit have brought four players into the building, addressing the wide areas immediately by confirming the permanent signing of Jeremy Sarmiento from Brighton, while they also completed the capture of Oxford United attacker Myles Peart-Harris on a free transfer.

Middlesbrough have further bolstered their forward options too, completing big-money moves for forwards Kyle Joseph (£5m) and Will Lankshear (£20m) from Hull City and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.

And now, Middlesbrough are targeting fresh blood in the centre of defence, particularly after the exit of long-standing servant Dael Fry, who has linked up with Championship rivals Birmingham City ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

The player seemingly high on their shortlist is Spurs defender Ash Phillips, who is hot property in the Championship following two successful loan stints with Stoke City.

For a permanent move, Tottenham are reportedly seeking a fee of £10m to secure Phillips’ services, raising some debate about whether such a sizeable sum is worth paying.

With this in mind, FLW’s Middlesbrough fan pundit has commented on the links to Phillips and whether the club should be paying double figures to bring him to the Riverside Stadium this summer.

Middlesbrough urged to ‘pay for success’ through Ash Phillips, £10m move

Speaking to Football League World, Middlesbrough fan pundit Liam Day has backed Boro to get a deal over the line for defender Ash Phillips, believing he would be an ‘exciting’ player and that the club need to spend this kind of money on Championship talent in order to achieve success.

Liam told FLW: “£10m might be a bit steep, but I feel like it’ll be quite a similar deal to Will Lankshear, where we pay quite a bit of a lone fee up front and then a lot of add-ons for if we get promoted.

“I think that’s a fair deal and a fine deal because you pay for success at the end of the day.

“He’s a very good player. He’s one that seems very exciting and Stoke fans seem very keen to have him back and that’s always a good sign.

“He’s still young and got a lot of time to develop. He’d add height to our team and with a new midfielder coming in who’s apparently a dead-ball specialist, that could be a very interesting combination.

“It’s one that seems really exciting and one I hope Boro get done.”

How Middlesbrough fans have reacted to Ash Phillips links

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Middlesbrough would bolster promotion hopes through Ash Phillips signing

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While £10m will feel like an extortionate sum of money to pay for a 21-year-old defender, some will forget that Ash Phillips has already racked up over a century of appearances at Championship level, also representing Blackburn Rovers and Plymouth Argyle before his exploits in the Potteries.

And with huge potential to grow into an even better central defender, it seems such a shrewd addition for Boro to make if they can get a deal over the line.

Losing such an experienced figure in Dael Fry would have been a bitter blow for Boro to take, but replacing him with a younger, more athletic defender, who also has the second tier knowhow to slot in and make an impact immediately is surely something Boro can’t turn down.

Phillips is well aware of the demands of this division and what it takes to be successful, and those attributes are going to be so key to have around the dressing room as the club looks to go one step further and get back to the promised land of the Premier League.

The arrival of Phillips would be a statement of intent from Boro that they are looking to upset the apple cart this season, with the 21-year-old now not far away from being a Premier League player in waiting given how influential he’s been in the Championship at such a young age.