Sheffield United have a busy summer ahead of them preparing for another Championship promotion push.
Sheffield United are thought to be interested in Tottenham Hotspur defender Ashley Phillips with reports suggesting a £6m transfer is being weighed up.
United are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements this summer, with only two senior centre-back options currently on the books. The Blades tied club captain Jack Robinson down to a new one-year contract earlier this year while fellow starter Anel Ahmedhodzic - whose deal also expires next summer - is expected to attract top-flight interest following an excellent individual season in the Championship.
Among the many potential targets reportedly being eyed is Phillips, who spent last season on loan at Championship strugglers Stoke City and made 35 league appearances. The Tottenham Hotspur man has also played second-tier football on loan at Plymouth Argyle but after impressing at both looks ready to progress to the higher ranks of the division.
And that could well lead the 20-year-old to Bramall Lane, with journalist Alan Nixon reporting via his Patreon page on interest from United. The well-connected EFL writer claims the Blades are willing to fork out a significant sum for Phillips, suggesting they could end up paying £6million to sign the Spurs youngster permanently.
Phillips is first expected to get a chance to impress at Spurs this summer, with new manager Thomas Frank keen to assess his squad entirely before making any decisions on transfers, be they in or out. But should the Dane deem his young defender surplus to requirements, United could be ready to pounce with competition expected.
‘Huge potential’ Ashley Phillips on Sheffield United’s transfer radar
The 20-year-old defender already has 61 Championship games under his belt and steadily improved across that most recent spell at Stoke. The young defender benefitted from having experience around him in the back-line, including centre-back partner Michael Rose.
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“He’s come on a lot this season, I think just from playing a lot of games,” Rose told Stoke Live in February. “I think he’s been brilliant, he’s got huge potential and I still think he’s got so much to learn as well, which is a good thing. He’s going to have a big career ahead of him if he keeps playing the way he is.”
United are a little over one month away from returning to action against Bristol City but have a lot to do this summer, having fallen behind their Championship rivals in terms of planning due to their play-off progression and subsequent change of manager. The Blades are yet to welcome a first-team player through the door with only Nigerian winger Ehije Ukaki picked up so far.
The Blades waved goodbye to seven senior loanees earlier this summer including regular starters like Ben Brereton Diaz, Hamza Choudhury and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. There is also a major risk of losing other top performers, with recent reports suggesting Vinicius Souza is on his way to Wolfsburg in a £13m deal while there is also interest in Gustavo Hamer.
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