Stoke City lauded for "absolutely huge" Spurs deal - Big Premier League claim made | OneFootball

FLW's Stoke City fan pundit has been discussing the news that Spurs defender Ashley Phillips has returned to the Potteries for another season.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Stoke City have completed a second loan deal with Tottenham Hotspur that will see Ashley Phillips return to the bet365 Stadium for another season.

The Potters have made a handful of signings to bolster Mark Robins' playing squad this summer, as they look to try and snap their seven-year-long bottom-half curse in the Championship in 2025/26.

Maksym Talovierov, Aaron Cresswell, Sorba Thomas and Divin Mubama have all penned deals with the club. However, City have just seen star midfielder Wouter Burger depart for German Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, in what will be a major blow to the team.

But, the disappointment surrounding that deal has been largely extinguished by the news that Phillips, a highly-rated young central defender who impressed during his season-long loan spell in the Potteries last season, has signed on for another term.

"Massive" - Stoke City lauded for Ashley Phillips deal - Premier League claim made

We asked our Stoke City fan pundit, Daniel Buxton: 'Stoke have managed to re-sign Ash Phillips on another season-long loan. Is this a huge coup for the club given he was said to be in Thomas Frank's plans? Is it a statement to the rest of the division?'

Buxton said: "Well, put it this way: I've just seen the signing of Phillips, and I'm currently on holiday, and I've just let out a massive 'GET IN THERE!'

"He is a massive signing. Absolutely huge. I have no doubt he is a Premier League player, and I believe that he could play in the Premier League now, so it's massive for us.

"We actually interviewed Ashley Phillips a couple of weeks ago - for the Every Step Along The Way Podcast - and he was saying then that his happiest time has been playing at Stoke - he's absolutely loved it.

"But he wanted to see if he could give it a go at Spurs, but they've signed a few players in his position (Kevin Danso, Luka Vuskovic and Kota Takai), so he's obviously felt that chances are going to be limited.

"So I think him, we've got Talovierov coming in from Plymouth and we've still got Ben Wilmot and Ben Gibson as well, we've got Aaron Creswell that we've signed who can play in the left of a three as well.

"We've got all different types of options now, we've got strength in depth, and like I say, he would get into any team in this division Ashley Phillips would.

"So it's a massive deal for Stoke. He fits us, we fit him, so hopefully it's a mutually beneficial deal that maybe, just maybe, sees us fly up the league for once! Who knows, maybe he will be playing in the Premier League with us."

Stoke City may have finally rectified defensive issues with new-look 25/26 Potters unit

It's been a frustrating few years in the Potteries, with perennial bottom-half finishes and precious little for Stoke fans to get overly excited about.

However, change may well be on the wind, as an encouraging summer of transfer business so far appears to be setting Robins up to deliver the club's most competitive Championship team, perhaps since their Premier League relegation in 2018, next season.

With their cutting edge sharpened with the arrivals of Mubama and Thomas, with perhaps a couple of further reinforcements in that department still to arrive too, Stoke have perhaps done their best work so far at the other end of the pitch.

The Potters shipped 62 goals on their way to an 18th-placed finish last season, conceding an average of 1.3 goals per game, in what was a hugely frustrating campaign all-round.

However, getting one of their brightest sparks back in Phillips for another term, whilst also adding a veteran and experienced figure in Cresswell alongside the talented Talovierov - who was excellent for Plymouth after joining them in January - could see Stoke's new-look defensive unit bring about major improvements in 25/26.

If Stoke are going to make a resurgence up the Championship table, then they must have a solid foundation at the back to build from, and the additions they've so far made in that department will be offering major encouragement to the Potters faithful that their side will no longer be as charitable to opposition sides at the back.