Tottenham Hotspur are keen admirers of 16-year-old Blackburn Rovers defender Ashley Phillips
According to The Telegraph (Subscription Required), Tottenham Hotspur are keeping an eye on teenage defender Ashley Phillips who continues to impress at Blackburn Rovers in the Championship.
The 16-year-old’s performances have not gone unnoticed and have caught the eye of Spurs. The youngster could be viewed as a long-term acquisition and a bid to strengthen their development team. Phillips is yet to make his senior bow but has made 18 appearances for the club’s youth and reserve sides.
Rovers manager Tony Mowbray holds the teenager in high regard as he spoke about his potential. He appears to be sold on the idea that the teenager will strike it big.
“He is going to be a mega footballer I’m pretty sure,”
Snapping up such talented prospects at a young age can be a double-edged sword at times. While they could nurture the youngster to realise his potential, there is no guarantee that it will eventually reap benefits.
How can Ashley Phillips settle at Tottenham Hotspur?
The Lilywhites currently have a roster of defenders that include Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez, Ben Davies, and Japhet Tanganga. Should he make the move, it is highly unlikely that Phillips will directly disrupt the hierarchy of the first team at the moment.
The youngster could, however, earn some quality time being in and around such experienced players in the long run. Spurs could also benefit by snapping up a youngster and developing him as per their requirement.
Any top club at the moment prides itself at not only spotting and recruiting highly prized players but also managing to land young starlets to help build a solid backbone for the future.
The Lilywhites have been setting themselves up for a rebuild of sorts. Several players have been moved away on loan deals and Fabio Paratici also managed to bring a couple of players in namely Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur.
Whether all this is being done with an eye on a summer rebuild remains to be seen. Spurs will do well to not just replenish their senior squad but also the youth ranks with exciting upcoming players.
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Landing a promising teenager seems like a step in the right direction considering that Spurs have struggled to secure some of their priority targets, especially in the last transfer window. While there is no confirmation that suggests Tottenham will target the young Rovers centre-back, only time will tell if Phillips’ performances speak otherwise.
