The Evening Standard have revealed that Tottenham target Ashley Phillips is expected to stay at Blackburn Rovers this season.
Phillips, 17, has started three of Rovers’ first five games of the campaign so far and has impressed with his maturity at the back.
The Daily Mail reported last week that the centre-back caught the eye of Spurs scouts with his performances for Blackburn’s development side last season.
The report claimed that Spurs were looking to beat Manchester United and Chelsea to the teenager’s signature and that Fabio Paratici was personally set to watch the defender in action before potentially pushing ahead with an offer.
No such offer seems to have materialised from Spurs, with The Evening Standard now claiming that Phillips is likely to remain at Ewood Park.
The report confirms Tottenham’s interest in the 6ft 4 defender and adds that the Lilywhites would have sent him out on loan had they signed him.
However, it is asserted that Philips now looks set to continue his development at Blackburn, with the Championship club said to be keen on tying the youngster down to a new contract.
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It is possible that Paratici was not completely convinced by Phillips when he went to scout him, which might have been why Spurs decided not to push ahead with an offer for the teenager.
One would expect Tottenham to continue to be on the lookout for the best emerging talent from the EFL, given that Paratici is prioritising revamping the clubs’ academy set-up.
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