Ashley Phillips’ proposed permanent switch from Tottenham Hotspur to Middlesbrough has hit a serious snag after his medical reportedly threw up unexpected physical concerns.
The Daily Mail report that the 21-year-old defender travelled to Teesside once Spurs and Boro had agreed a deal potentially worth up to £20million. That transfer has now stalled after issues surfaced during what was expected to be a routine medical.
Middlesbrough had agreed an initial fee of around £7m, with performance-related add-ons capable of pushing the total closer to £20m. Personal terms on a long-term contract had also reportedly been sorted, leaving the medical as seemingly the final formality. Instead, both clubs’ medical staff are now investigating the findings before any further steps are taken.
It’s a blow for Middlesbrough, who under head of football Kieran Scott and manager Kim Hellberg have been pushing an ambitious summer rebuild aimed at a serious promotion push. Phillips was earmarked as a key defensive addition thanks to his physicality, defensive quality and Championship experience, built on the back of a strong loan spell at Stoke City last season where he made 44 appearances. He’d also have linked back up with fellow Spurs academy product Will Lankshear, already at the Riverside.
For Tottenham, the delay complicates a summer in which they’ve been trimming the squad and cashing in on players outside their plans. The £7m fee would mark a tidy profit on the roughly £2m Spurs paid Blackburn Rovers for Phillips back in 2023, with a 20% sell-on clause also reportedly built into the deal.
Medical staff from both clubs are now working to establish the full picture and whether it affects Phillips’ ability to go through with the move. Middlesbrough are said to be weighing several routes forward — reworking the fee structure, opting for an initial loan with an obligation to buy, or walking away entirely if the concerns are serious enough.
Should talks collapse, Boro would be left scrambling for a alternative centre-back option with the deadline looming, while Phillips himself would face fresh uncertainty over his next step — potentially returning to Spurs, with other Championship and European clubs still possible destinations.
