Spurs may fancy transfer U-Turn that would affect Stoke City | OneFootball

Ashley Phillips hasn't been able to hit the ground running at Stoke thus far.

Tottenham Hotspur loanee Ashley Phillips has not quite hit the ground running at Stoke City this season.

The 20-year-old impressed for the Potters last term, urging the club to secure another deal that would see the centre-back return to the Bet365 Stadium on loan.

Phillips has been limited to just 60 minutes of Championship football under Mark Robins during the early stages of the campaign, and Spurs may have to make a big decision about potentially recalling the youngster.

Alternative route may be best for young Spurs defender

The Welshman moved to Tottenham from Blackburn during the 2023 summer transfer window after a deal worth a reported £2 million.

Salford-born Phillips went on to make 18 appearances on loan at Plymouth Argyle during the second half of the 2023/24 season, before going out on loan again to Stoke the following term.

Phillips made his Blackburn debut at 17, and is obviously highly rated, given his 2023 move to Tottenham. Football League World's Rovers Fan Pundit Simon Middlehurst recently described the current situation as: "Really, really weird," going on to suggest that Phillips "made the wrong move."

Phillips impressed on loan at Stoke last term, making 35 Championship appearances as the Potters finished as low as 18th.

Since returning to the club, he has played just 60 minutes under Robins, while Stoke's excellent start leaves little room for Phillips to claim a starting place, with the Potters sitting in third place.

The defender is clearly talented, and Tottenham may be considering an alternative route for the defender in January, regarding another loan move that would see the defender play week in and week out.

Phillips needs game time - he may not get that at Stoke

For any young defender, game time is a necessity, and Phillips is not getting that at Stoke.

The youngster's underlying stats at Stoke last term suggest that the quality is there, and his 35 appearances match this.

In an underperforming Potter's side, Phillips blocked 1.3 shots per 90, 0.99 interceptions, and was dribbled past just twice in 3,082 minutes.

The notable areas in need of improvement are all aspects of the game that would undoubtedly come with experience and know-how. The 20-year-old won just 54.7% of his ground duels and 52.4% of his aerial duels last term.

However, with this in mind, a further run of consistent game time would only help when it comes to dealing with physical centre-forwards effectively. He most certainly has the frame, with his 6'4 stature, and experience will only add to this.

His 83.9% pass completion rate also does not tell the full story, with Stoke being far from a possession-based outfit last term.

Champions Leeds United attempted 27,267 passes, while only five sides registered a tally lower than Stoke's 19,228, with an average possession number of 46.7%. Stoke have since evolved under Robins, with the tally reaching 52.3% thus far this season - granted with a smaller sample size.

Despite the lack of minutes for Phillips in the season's early days, he still carries fantastic potential. However, he is unlikely to reach this at Stoke given the current circumstances.

A recall and subsequent move that is more suited to the youngster would be highly beneficial, and something that Spurs are likely to consider ahead of January.