Ange Postecoglou has two Tottenham players who can save Daniel Levy millions on 2024 transfers
Tottenham will need to address their options at centre-back come January following Davinson Sanchez’s late switch to Galatasaray
When the transfer market reopens at the beginning of the year, Tottenham will have one very clear priority. Even though the Premier League summer transfer window closed just over a week ago, Tottenham released Davinson Sanchez on Monday night because Ange Postecoglou approved the Colombian’s move to Galatasaray.
The 27-year-old’s exit leaves Tottenham fairly short at the back, and they already needed to sign a replacement center-back before he left. If Cristian Romero were to ever be away, Sanchez would fill in for him; however, it currently appears that 18-year-old Ashley Phillips will do so.
If Micky van de Ven is unavailable, Ben Davies will take the position of the Dutchman on the left. Eric Dier’s Tottenham future does appear to be saved by Sanchez’s move, if only temporarily. Postecoglou’s plans for Dier, who missed out on the matchday squad for Tottenham’s first five games of the season, are expected to become much clearer over the coming weeks.
It is obvious that Spurs will require defensive reinforcements in January, but the Lilywhites already have a couple of young players who could help them avoid spending millions in the future. Luka Vuskovic is now slated to join Tottenham’s talented starlets in 2025 after he turns 18 because a deal with Hajduk Split is almost complete. The first of these is Phillips, who arrived at the start of August after leaving Blackburn Rovers for £2 million.
The Salford-born center back, who made his senior debut for Rovers only a year ago, played 14 times for the Championship team during his first season. Phillips, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall and already possesses the skills to be a great hit in Postecoglou’s backline due to his ball-handling prowess, has undoubtedly already caught the attention of the Spurs head coach at Hotspur Way, as seen by the fact that he was a substitute in the team’s 5-2 victory at Burnley.
Phillips, who is now excitedly anticipating to make his Tottenham debut in the not-too-distant future, may have made his first of many appearances in the Tottenham matchday squad. Tony Mowbray, the former manager of Rovers, described Phillips as “phenomenal” when he was just 16 years old. Phillips has been predicted to have some future in the game, and the £2 million Tottenham paid for his services may turn out to be a bargain.
After making his debut for Tottenham earlier in the week, Phillips’ historic week continued on Saturday when he scored his first goal for England’s under-19 team as they defeated Switzerland 4-2. Starting
in that game was fellow Tottenham youngster Alfie Dorrington, who is another player who could save the club a lot of money in the transfer market in the years ahead.
As Tottenham are now one short in defence following Sanchez’s exit, Dorrington could be the youngster set to benefit with potential opportunities there for him on the training pitch under Postecoglou. If that indeed proves to be the case, it is a golden opportunity for the 18-year-old to make his make and demonstrate to the head coach that he has a part to play in his Spurs masterplan.
Dorrington is another player with excellent ball control, as seen by his role in Jamie Donley’s goal in the U18 Premier League Cup final against Aston Villa, as he came from behind and set up his teammate to score. The huge center-back made 34 appearances throughout the age levels in 2022–23, and this season, he has started all four of Tottenham’s Premier League 2 games. Last year, he was an important part of the under-17s and under-18s’ cup victories.
Dorrington is undoubtedly one of the many talented talents that Spurs have on their hands at the academy. Regardless of Tottenham’s January transfer activities in which they seek to sign a defender, they already have two players in Phillips and Dorrington who, if they continue to develop at their current rate, can more than contribute to the team’s future.
