Tim Sherwood has called on the club to recall 19-year-old Ashley Phillips from his loan spell at Stoke City, believing the young defender could be the answer to Ange Postecoglou’s defensive woes.
Tottenham’s January pursuit of defensive reinforcements
The January transfer window saw Tottenham Hotspur enter the market with a clear mission—strengthen their defensive line.
While Tottenham succeeded in securing the services of Kevin Danso just 48 hours before the transfer window closed, their ambitions did not stop there.
The need for more reinforcements became urgent as first-choice centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, have missed huge parts of the season because of injuries.
Tottenham made a bold £70 million bid for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi in the final hours of the window. However, Crystal Palace swiftly rejected the offer, citing the lack of time to find a suitable replacement for their key defender.
Despite their best efforts, Tottenham were unable to bring in another centre-back before the deadline.
Sherwood calls for Tottenham to recall Ashley Phillips
Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood believes the club should act quickly and recall Ashley Phillips from his loan spell at Stoke City.
Speaking on Sky Sports alongside Paul Merson on transfer deadline day, Sherwood explained why he thinks Phillips could provide an immediate solution for Tottenham’s defensive crisis.
He said: “I would have called them back. Phillips is a boy they have bought from Blackburn, he has gone out and played at Stoke, he is a young boy but you just never know.
“Until you put them on the stage you don’t know if they can sing. This boy might be very good. He might save them £60 or £70m on someone who is not as good. You don’t know until you give them the opportunity.
“They have Solomon out at Leeds, he is a player who they could have brought back in. Hojbjerg is a very experienced midfield player, if they need someone just to sit in front. I know Ange doesn’t like that player but if there was an option to bring them back I certainly would have brought them back, I would.”
Defensive challenges and why Phillips could be the answer
With Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero not yet fully fit, and Radu Dragusin recently suffering an ACL injury that will keep him out for the foreseeable future, the club’s defensive depth has been significantly weakened.
Bringing back the young centre-back may not guarantee immediate success, but given the circumstances, it is an option worth considering.
As things stand, Ange Postecoglou has just Ben Davies, Archie Gray, and Kevin Danso as fully fit centre-backs available for selection.
Phillips, who has shown potential during his time at Blackburn Rovers and now at Stoke City, could offer valuable support and help ease the burden on Tottenham’s stretched defence.