Tottenham defender Ashley Phillips set to join Middlesbrough | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Ashley Phillips is closing in on a move to Middlesbrough.

According to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, Tottenham are in advanced talks with the Championship club over a deal for the defender.

Tottenham and Middlesbrough initially struggled to find common ground, but negotiations are now moving in a positive direction.

Spurs have already spent a fortune to revamp their squad this summer and have shored up their leaky backline with several quality additions.

Marcos Senesi and Andrew Robertson joined Tottenham on a free transfer while Jan Paul van Hecke came in from Brighton & Hove Albion.

That has given Tottenham plenty of defensive options and also forced them to trim their bloated squad before bringing in fresh reinforcements.

Tottenham signed Phillips from Blackburn Rovers in a £2m deal in 2023. However, he never really had a chance to prove his worth or stake any real claim for a starting spot.

He spent the majority of his Tottenham career out on loan in the Championship. He was at Stoke City in the last couple of seasons following another temporary stint at Plymouth Argyle.

Tottenham are now ready to let Phillips leave on a permanent deal, and Middlesbrough are well positioned to strike a deal.

If the deal is completed, Phillips will become the latest player to swap Tottenham for the Riverside Stadium after Will Lankshear earlier this summer.

Lankshear joined Boro in a deal that could eventually become the club’s record signing.

Phillips is not in Roberto De Zerbi’s long-term plans, which makes him expendable. De Zerbi still wants to strengthen his squad before the season starts.