Middlesbrough have reached an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur to sign highly regarded centre-back Ashley Phillips on a permanent deal, according to The Northern Echo.
The transfer is the latest significant move in Boro’s ambitious summer rebuild under head of football Kieran Scott. Middlesbrough will pay an upfront fee of £7 million, with further performance-related add-ons.
Boro fought off competition from several rival Championship clubs to land the ‘very big and strong’ 21-year-old Englishman, who is expected to undergo a medical in the coming days before signing a long-term contract at the Riverside Stadium.
Phillips originally joined Tottenham from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2023 after Spurs activated a £2m release clause in his Ewood Park contract.
Although first-team opportunities at Hotspur Way were limited following senior arrivals in North London, Phillips gained valuable Championship experience through loan spells with Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City.
During his stint with Stoke last season, he made 44 appearances in all competitions, cementing his reputation as one of the EFL’s most promising young centre-backs.
Having narrowly missed out on promotion via the Championship play-offs last season, Boro have moved aggressively in the transfer market, adding Myles Peart-Harris, Kyle Joseph, Sebastian Berhalter, Max Arfsten, Radek Vitek and Will Lankshear.
Middlesbrough hope to finalise Phillips’ transfer in time for him to join up with his new teammates ahead of the opening weekend of the Championship season.
Kim Hellberg’s men have an EFL Cup clash against Wrexham City on Friday before hosting Lincoln City next Saturday.