How much Middlesbrough will have to pay Spurs to sign 'phenomenal' talent | OneFootball

The Spurs man already has over 100 Championship appearances to his name.

Middlesbrough are stepping up their transfer business as they strive to go one better and secure promotion to the Premier League next season.

Boro may have sold their best player to Everton, but now they are turning heads in the Championship, having signed Will Lankshear from Tottenham in a deal that could rise to £20milllion, which would be a club record.

Lankshear joins Kyle Joseph, Jeremy Sarmiento and Myles Peart-Harris at the Riverside Stadium as head coach Kim Hellberg undergoes his first pre-season with the club.

Now the Teesside club are looking to bolster the opposite end of the pitch and have made their transfer intentions clear as they target one of Lankshear's former Spurs teammates.

Tottenham set Ashley Phillips price as Middlesbrough keen on permanent transfer

Middlesbrough have made moves to strengthen their forward line, but now the attention has turned to Hellberg's backline, which is looking a tad short.

Long-serving defender Dael Fry left the Riverside on a free transfer earlier this summer, joining Birmingham City, and that has left just three recognised centre-backs in the Swede's squad.

Just days ago, Boro were linked with a move for Tottenham's Ashley Phillips, with reports the Teesside outfit would have to pay £10million for his services, but fresh reports suggest that is a little short of what the North London club actually want.

TEAMtalk reports that the two clubs are in discussions over the England under-21 international over a potential permanent deal, with the Lilywhites valuing the player at around £12m.

Since signing from Blackburn Rovers in 2023, the 21-year-old has been loaned out several times during his Tottenham career, most recently to Stoke City, where he made 40 Championship appearances last season.

What would Phillips bring to Boro?

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Despite only being 21, Phillips is already a player with substantial Championship experience, having made just over 100 appearances in the division during spells at Blackburn, Plymouth Argyle and Stoke.

Current Rovers boss Tony Mowbray described the centre-back as 'phenomenal' back in 2023 and will no doubt be keeping tabs on his progress.

Furthermore, the centre-back now has two full seasons in the second tier under his belt, having spent the last two on loan with the Potters.

He is a modern, ball-playing central defender who is composed in possession and, at 6"5, he poses a significant aerial threat that could be useful at both ends of the pitch.

Last season, Phillips boasted several encouraging statistics, ranking in the top 18 per cent of Championship players in his division for aerial duels won and successful passes, according to Fotmob.

Of course, there are areas for development for the youngster, as he committed more fouls than over 75 per cent of centre-backs while he did not notch a single league goal despite his height advantage.

In Phillips, Middlesbrough would not only be signing a centre-back with vast Championship experience, but they would also be investing in a player whose value is likely to only increase.

How have Middlesbrough fans reacted to Phillips news

On the whole, it looks as though the Phillips news has gone down well with the majority of Boro faithful.

However, despite appearing in the Championship over 100 times, some supporters are not that familiar with his ability.

One eagle-eyed fan also noticed that the defender was not included in Tottenham's pre-season tour squad.