2JJ68R4 File photo dated 09-04-2022 of Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou who declared Celtic "in a good place" after they rounded off their pre-season campaign with a 2-0 friendly win over Norwich at Parkhead on Saturday. Issue date: Saturday July 23, 2022.
Update emerges on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Blackburn Rovers star amid hidden clause development
Blackburn Rovers defender Ashley Phillips has a £2m escape clause in his contract that comes into action next Friday, The Sun has revealed.
It has been widely reported that Spurs are interested in bringing England U19s defender Phillips to North London, though Blackburn Rovers are holding firm in their transfer valuation to this point.
However, The Sun states that Ange Postecoglou’s side are willing to gamble on a hidden transfer clause that becomes active next Friday. The nature of this hidden clause is that come Friday, Phillips will be available for a fee of just £2m. It is added that Spurs are willing to play a waiting game that could save them millions.
It is a risky manoeuvre, because any side that bids between now and Friday breaks that clause and Spurs would have to match or better that interest in order to land the highly-regarded Phillips
Jon Dahl Tomasson’s Rovers outfit are under no compunction to sell; youngster Phillips is under contract until 2025. They are also sticking to their guns when it comes to the fee they wish to receive for the Young Lions star.
Rovers are wanting a £5m guaranteed payment, a lump of that being paid immediately and the rest over two years. It is then said that 11 bonuses would need to be guaranteed between Phillips’ first appearance for a new club up to 80 appearances in total.
These appearances bonuses – if met – would increase any fee for the young England defender to around £6.5m and the bonuses could take the fee even higher.
The waiting game
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Phillips moved from Blackburn Rovers’ academy and into the first-team reckoning at the start of last season. Whilst not becoming a regular, the teen centre-back did make 14 appearances for the Lancashire side.
Eight of these appearances for Rovers were in the Sky Bet Championship, showing that he has been blooded in league football. Whilst only featuring for 449 minutes last season, he has definitely caught the eye.
Spurs could be about to enter a very dangerous waiting game as they look to Friday and the activation of this hidden transfer clause. Play it well, and they could grab Phillips for just £2m.
Get it wrong, and watch others enter the race, and Spurs could be writing a cheque for much more to land their target.
