Sheffield United and Stoke City suffer blow in Tottenham transfer pursuit - Thomas Frank's stance has been revealed | OneFootball

Thomas Frank is hoping to retain the defender's services

New Tottenham Hotspur head coach, Thomas Frank, has served Sheffield United and Stoke City a blow in their respective aims of signing Ash Phillips on loan.

That is according to a fresh report from Alan Nixon via Patreon, with the aforementioned duo named as two of "several" Championship outfits who were interested in striking a temporary deal for the highly-rated centre-back.

The Blades are adopting a new transfer strategy amid the recent appointment of Ruben Selles, with ownership group, COH Sports, putting a strong onus on the usage of AI and statistics to bolster the squad at Bramall Lane, whilst Phillips' most recent loan spell away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium came with the Potters under Steven Schumacher, Narcis Pelach and Mark Robins.

Robins is also preparing for his first full season at the Bet365 Stadium, but has been handed an early blow in his transfer aims by the Danish boss, who will need as many options as possible in North London due to Spurs' upcoming UEFA Champions League venture following their Europa League success against Manchester United last month.

Tottenham Hotspur to retain Ash Phillips amid Stoke City, Sheffield United loan interest

Despite being just 19 years of age, Phillips already boasts plenty of Championship appearances on his CV after progressing through Blackburn Rovers' academy ranks before making his first-team breakthrough in the 2022/23 season under Jon Dahl Tomasson.

After impressing during the campaign in which Rovers narrowly missed out on the play-offs, Spurs would eventually end a long-standing transfer saga by signing the defender for just £2m.

Phillips is yet to make a senior appearance for the capital side, joining Plymouth Argyle and latterly, Stoke, in two loan spells, making 39 appearances for the Potters in all competitions, with his solitary goal coming in a 3-2 defeat to Southampton in the EFL Cup.

Prior to confirmation of Selles' appointment in the Steel City, it was reported by the Sheffield Star that the Blades identified Phillips and fellow Spurs prospect, Alfie Devine, as two transfer targets, with James Bord, who plays an integral role in the club's aforementioned new strategy, a boyhood supporter of the North London side.

However, as per Nixon's fresh update, United are set to receive a blow regarding the double swoop, with Frank looking to keep Phillips in and around the first-team picture during his first season, with his verdict reportedly putting off the South Yorkshire outfit and Stoke in their respective aims of striking a loan agreement.

Ash Phillips will feel he has earned Premier League breakthrough after Championship stints

Whilst Phillips would be able to source much more regular gametime with yet another loan stint in the second tier, the England youth international will feel he has earned his chance of making a senior breakthrough at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as a result of his consistent performances.

Spurs have endured plenty of injury problems in recent times, and fellow defender Cristian Romero has been the subject of strong interest from Atlético Madrid, although Fabrizio Romano anticipates that the Argentinian will remain in N17 by the time the transfer window closes on September 1st.

However, due to the newly-adopted format in European competitions, it's no surprise that Frank sees Phillips as an option which he wants to retain, with the youngster aligning with the Champions League quota, in which eight players have to be 'homegrown' or 'club-trained'.

Furthermore, the Dane also has a strong record when it comes to developing youngsters, with plenty of his Brentford squad reaching heights which not many could have potentially foreseen, which is another reason that Frank's stance will be music to the defender's ears.