Tim Sherwood urges Tottenham to recall 19-year-old from loan to support first-team.

Tottenham’s January Search for Defensive Reinforcements

During the January transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur entered the market with a clear objective—bolstering their defensive lineup.

Their most notable success was securing Kevin Danso just 48 hours before the window shut.

However, with key centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero missing large parts of the season due to injuries, the need for further reinforcements remained pressing.

In the final hours of the window, Tottenham made an ambitious £70 million bid for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.

However, Palace swiftly rejected the offer, citing their inability to secure a replacement on such short notice.

Despite their efforts, Spurs were unable to bring in another centre-back before the deadline.

Sherwood Urges Tottenham to Recall Ashley Phillips

Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood has called for the club to recall Ashley Phillips from his loan spell at Stoke City.

Speaking on Sky Sports alongside Paul Merson on deadline day, Sherwood explained why he believes Phillips could be an immediate solution to Spurs’ defensive crisis.

“I would have called him back. Phillips is a player they signed from Blackburn, and he’s been gaining experience at Stoke.

He’s a young talent, but you never know what they can do until they are given a chance,” Sherwood said.

He continued: “This boy might turn out to be very good. He could save them £60 or £70 million instead of signing someone who might not even be as good.

You won’t know until you give him an opportunity.”

Sherwood also pointed out that Tottenham had other options: “They have Solomon at Leeds, another player they could have recalled.

And Højbjerg is an experienced midfielder who could sit in front of the defence.

I know Ange doesn’t prefer that type of player, but given the situation, I would have considered bringing them back.”

Defensive Challenges and Why Phillips Could Be the Solution

With Van de Ven and Romero still regaining full fitness and Radu Drăgușin suffering an ACL injury that will sideline him for the foreseeable future, Tottenham’s defensive depth has been severely impacted.

Recalling Phillips may not be a guaranteed fix, but given the current circumstances, it is an option worth exploring.

As of now, Ange Postecoglou has only Ben Davies, Archie Gray, and Kevin Danso as fully fit centre-backs available for selection.

Phillips, who showed promise at Blackburn Rovers and has continued his development at Stoke City, could provide valuable cover and help ease the burden on Tottenham’s already stretched defence.