Middlesbrough are pushing hard in the transfer market as they aim to go one step further this season and finally clinch promotion to the Premier League.
Despite losing their star man to Everton, Boro have been busy elsewhere, bringing in Will Lankshear from Tottenham in a deal that could eventually be worth £20million — a potential club-record fee. He joins fellow new arrivals Kyle Joseph, Jeremy Sarmiento and Myles Peart-Harris at the Riverside as head coach Kim Hellberg settles into his first full pre-season in charge.
Boro Turn Attention to Defence
With the attacking additions taking shape, focus has now shifted to shoring up the backline, which looks a little light after a busy summer of departures. Long-time centre-back Dael Fry left on a free transfer to Birmingham City, leaving Hellberg with just three senior options at the back.
That’s fuelled fresh interest in another familiar face from Lankshear’s old club — Tottenham defender Ashley Phillips. Initial reports suggested Boro could land him for around £10million, but more recent information indicates Spurs are holding out for closer to £12million as talks between the two sides continue over a permanent move.
Phillips joined Tottenham from Blackburn Rovers back in 2023 and has spent much of his time out on loan since, most recently in a productive spell at Stoke City where he featured 40 times in the Championship last term.
What Phillips Would Add
Still only 21, Phillips already boasts over 100 Championship appearances across loan spells with Blackburn, Plymouth Argyle and Stoke — a striking amount of experience for someone his age. Tony Mowbray, his manager during his Blackburn days, once labelled him a standout talent, and it’s easy to see why clubs keep coming back for him.
Standing at 6’5″, Phillips offers real aerial presence alongside a composed, modern style on the ball. Last season’s numbers back that up — he ranked among the division’s top performers for aerial duels won and pass completion, according to Fotmob data.
There’s still room to grow, though. He picked up more fouls than the majority of his defensive peers and failed to register a single league goal despite his physical advantage in the box.
Even so, Middlesbrough would be getting a defender with genuine Championship pedigree and plenty of resale potential down the line.
Fan Reaction
The response from the Boro faithful has largely been positive, with many excited at the prospect of landing another promising Spurs academy product. Some supporters also pointed out that Phillips was notably left out of Tottenham’s pre-season tour squad — seen by many as a strong hint that a move away could be close.
