3 Premier League centre-backs Stoke City must eye on loan if Spurs recall Ashley Phillips
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Stoke City have seen Ashley Phillips impress on loan but Spurs may recall him amid a host of defensive injuries.
Stoke City made good use of the loan market in the summer transfer window and centre-back Ashley Phillips has been able to lock down a starting spot since coming in from Tottenham Hotspur.
However, his parent club are now without both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, who are Ange Postecoglou’s go-to players at the heart of defence. As such, to ensure they have natural replacements rather than out-of-position stand-ins, Phillips may be recalled, as per reports.
It would be a big blow for the Potters to lose someone who has impressed so much on loan.
But, thankfully, there are plenty of replacement options Stoke City can line up if needs be. Here, we put forward three it would be worth keeping in mind…
James Hill – Bournemouth
Hill has spent time on loan in the Championship with Blackburn Rovers before and he performed well before being recalled. He’s still with his parent club but game time is proving hard to come by.
The 22-year-old is capable as both a centre-back and right-back and could be an ample replacement for Phillips if he’s brought back to Spurs prematurely.
Hill has played just twice this season, once in the league and once in the EFL Cup.
Nathan Wood – Southampton
Wood is among the promising players at Southampton who were signed in the summer but haven’t found much action amid their Premier League struggles. He’s definitely capable of playing at that level in the future but perhaps experience is favoured at the back in a relegation-threatened side.
As such, an opportunistic loan move from someone like Stoke City could appeal to both him and his club.
The 22-year-old is a former England youth regular and has plenty of Championship experience to his name.
Luke Woolfenden – Ipswich Town
Woolfenden is a more experienced player than Hill, Wood and current Stoke City loan man Phillips. He wouldn’t be the young Premier League loanee they have favoured, but a temporary move still seems feasible.
Game time has been harder to come by after Ipswich Town were promoted to the Premier League and while his leadership sees him remain important, Woolfenden may like the idea of heading out on loan for more game time in 2025.
Stoke City could offer that if Phillips is recalled prematurely.
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