Tottenham Hotspur are emerging as the favourites to sign Blackburn Rovers youngster Ashley Phillips, reports Alan Nixon.
Phillips, 16, has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs this season. He’s yet to make his first-team debut for Rovers but already he’s being highly-touted in the English game, having established himself in the England youth ranks.
And now, Nixon says that Tottenham Hotspur are emerging as the favourites to sign the centre-back in a potential £3million deal, handing a blow to Manchester United who have been long-term admirers of the youngster.
The Red Devils were said to be in pole position to sign Phillips earlier in the year. But Spurs look to have moved ahead in this particular transfer chase, with Antonio Conte’s side looking keen to sign some talented youngsters this summer.
Spurs have also been linked with names such as Brennan Johnson, Djed Spence and Keane Lewis-Potter.
A blow for Blackburn…
Blackburn have produced some decent youngsters in their recent history. None have garnered as much hype as Phillips though, and all without ever making his first-team debut.
But it looks as though Phillips will be moving on this summer. For Rovers, claiming £3million for a 16-year-old footballer who is yet to make an appearance for the first-team is commendable business, but fans may be ruing the fact that they’ll probably never get to see Phillips in a Blackburn shirt.
That’s the difficult that Football League teams face though when they unveil a talented young player.
