Middlesbrough move for Spurs defender Ash Phillips takes yet another turn | OneFootball

Middlesbrough are pushing on for a new-look deal for Tottenham Hotspur's Ashley Phillips after their initial deal hit a snag

Middlesbrough are preparing to revise their offer for Tottenham Hotspur defender Ashley Phillips, after their initial deal for the England youth international hit a snag and subsequently stalled.

According to Alan Nixon via Patreon, Middlesbrough are preparing to push for a new deal for Spurs defender Phillips, having initially agreed terms with the Premier League outfit over the transfer of the 21-year-old.

Boro have had an incredible window thus far, and a deal for Phillips would only cement their summer as one of the very best in the EFL, as Kim Hellberg's side are not walking away from this deal just yet.

Middlesbrough are pushing for Ashley Phillips agreement with Tottenham Hotspur after the initial deal stalled

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Boro's interest in Phillips was initially reported by Alan Nixon via Patreon over a couple of weeks ago, and since then the deal progressed to advanced stages, as Pete O'Rourke then reported via X.

The Spurs youngster was the subject of an initial £7 million fee, rising to a potential £20 million, but since then, the Daily Mail have revealed that the deal had hit a snag, and as a result, was put on hold for the time being.

It wasn't revealed exactly what occurred that made the deal stall, but Boro's interest in the young defender clearly hasn't wavered, as now, the Teesside outfit is pushing on to get his addition over the line, with the campaign right around the corner.

Phillips has failed to feature in any of Roberto De Zerbi's pre-season games at Spurs, with an exit well and truly on the cards, and whilst a deal has taken longer to be completed than Boro would have hoped, expectations remain that he will be a Boro player before the September 1st deadline.

Why are Middlesbrough so keen to secure a deal for Tottenham Hotspur's Ashley Phillips?

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Despite still being only 21, Phillips has amassed over a century of appearances in the Championship already across loan spells with Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City, the latter of whom he has enjoyed two separate spells with.

Having come through the ranks of Blackburn Rovers and making 14 senior appearances for the Lancashire-based outfit across all competitions, he'd secure a £2 million switch to Spurs in the summer of 2023.

Although he hasn't made a single competitive appearance for the North London outfit, Spurs are set to make a healthy profit on the defender in any case, as Boro push to get this deal over the line.

With each of Matt Targett, Dael Fry, and Darragh Lenihan having left the club this summer at the end of their deals, Middlesbrough are in desperate need of some more reinforcements at the back to partner Adilson Malanda, with Neto Borges and Luke Ayling having filled in at centre-back in Boro's 1-0 victory over Wrexham in the League Cup.

Phillips is a colossus at the back, and despite his age, is capable of shutting down the very best centre-forwards in the Championship, as well as being more than able to play out from the back, a trait Hellberg will love.

His addition ticks all the boxes for Boro, who are looking to obtain Phillips' signature this summer by any means necessary.

Kim Hellberg is not prepared to give up on the Ashley Phillips deal despite the hiccup, as Middlesbrough enjoy an excellent summer window

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Middlesbrough's business began humbly, bringing in Myles Peart-Harris on a free transfer, as Hull City's Kyle Joseph followed shortly after for around £5 million.

Since then, deals for Sebastian Berhalter from Vancouver Whitecaps for £1.5 million, Max Arfsten from Columbus Crew for £5.6 million, Will Lankshear from Spurs for an initial £10 million, rising to a potential £20 million, and Radek Vitek from Manchester United for an initial £7 million, rising to £14 million have gone ahead.

The £24 million they received from the sale of Hayden Hackney will have helped fund this rebuild, as will the sell-on clause they received after Morgan Rogers' move to Chelsea, as Phillips' potential £20 million switch would have been the latest in the queue.

How Boro will go about re-negotiating this deal remains to be seen, as it could be a truly one-of-a-kind window for the club.