Middlesbrough plotting another Spurs transfer raid - Stoke City also keen | OneFootball

Middlesbrough are interested in bringing Ashley Phillips to the Riverside this summer

Middlesbrough's transfer window truly kicked into life on Tuesday night with the signing of Will Lankshear, but the 21-year-old may not be the only arrival from Spurs at the Riverside this summer.

Lankshear became Boro's third signing of the window, but the first to see the Teesiders really flex their financial muscle as they look to bolster Kim Hellberg's side ahead of what they hope will be another promotion-challenging campaign.

The frontman could end up being Middlesbrough's record signing, after an initial £10 million can be raised to £20 million if all add-ons are completed. With the potential of the 21-year-old, he looks to be well worth the investment.

Now, though, following the much-needed attacking arrival, the focus at the Riverside is on giving the back line an upgrade.

Captain Dael Fry left the club this summer at the end of his contract, so a new centre-back is definitely needed, and Boro are turning to Tottenham once again to try and bring in yet another highly-rated youngster.

Middlesbrough lead race for Ashley Phillips

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According to Alan Nixon, Middlesbrough want to sign Tottenham defender Ashley Phillips.

Despite only just turning 21 in late June, the centre-back has a wealth of experience at Championship level, mainly coming with Stoke City, with whom he spent the last two seasons on loan.

Phillips' first exposure to the second tier came at Blackburn Rovers, though, where he came through the academy. He was quickly snapped up by Spurs after making 14 appearances for Rovers, though, paying the £2 million release clause to bring him to North London in the summer of 2023.

Like Lankshear, the 21-year-old has struggled to break into the senior fold at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but is highly-regarded as one of the top young English players in his position, making five Under-21 appearances for the national team.

Therefore, Nixon states that Boro will have to pay £10 million or more once again to pry the centre-back from Spurs.

That eight-figure fee is what puts Kim Hellberg's side in pole position ahead of other interested Championship sides, including Stoke, who would love to have him back after he made 83 appearances for them across two seasons.

The new squad cost ratio financial rulings have allowed second-tier sides to make a splash in the transfer window. That, and with at least £16 million coming in for Hayden Hackney this summer, means Boro reportedly have the capabilities to make yet another eight-figure signing this window.

How Middlesbrough fans have reacted to Ashley Phillips transfer links

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Phillips has shown plenty of promise and leadership qualities at such a young age at Stoke over the past couple of seasons, and last year, despite yet another middling low-mid-table finish, the Potters had the fifth-best defence in the Championship.

Therefore, there's a lot of excitement surrounding Boro fans at the prospect of bringing in someone who is seasoned at the level, yet still has so much room to grow.

In response to the links being shared on X by Boro fan page Boropolis, Middlesbrough fans have flooded the replies to pass their seal of approval on the news.

"Wow, this has been a generational few days," one fan wrote. "Seriously moving now," another added.

There's still some sense of disbelief that Boro have such strong spending power, and with the Lankshear news coming as a surprise, the reports surrounding a move for Phillips are taking fans even further aback.

"Another £10 million? What's [Steve] Gibson cooking?" one fan questioned. Ultimately, not many Middlesbrough fans can quite believe the links coming out in the last few days, nor do they know what the future holds.

What they do know is that, under Kim Hellberg, Boro are building an exciting, young squad and one that could easily challenge for automatic promotion once more.