Blow for Chelsea as PL rivals take pole position for 16-year-old Championship sensation

Manchester United lead Chelsea in the race to sign Blackburn Rovers starlet Ashley Phillips

According to Football Insider (h/t The Star), Manchester United are leading the race to sign Blackburn Rovers teen Ashley Phillips amidst interest from Chelsea. The youngster has attracted a lot of attention, having broken into the U23 set-up recently.

Tottenham Hotspur and Everton are also monitoring the situation and could pose a threat to our efforts in landing him. Man United are not worried about it as they are currently in the pole position to get Phillips’ signature ahead of the competition.

The Englishman usually plays for the U21 youth side and both the Red Devils and the Blues have been scouting him multiple times recently. Phillips will not come cheap and has already penned a contract with the Ewood Park outfit. Touted as the best upcoming talent in the Rovers’ academy, the 16-year-old has it in him to develop into a world-class player.

Superstar in the making?

Standing at 6ft 4in, the teenager is a powerhouse in the air and can easily dominate aerial duels while being an attacking threat during set-pieces as well. Unlike most centre-backs with a huge build, he is also quick and agile and can easily keep up with pacey attackers making him a rather complete prospect.

The 16-year-old has featured in eight matches this season, keeping two clean sheets and scoring two goals in the Premier League 2 division. The talented starlet is punching well above his age group, indicating the quality that courses through him.

We cannot afford to lose out on one of the potential superstars in the future and should do all we can to secure his services. That is especially the case given that Ralf Rangnick’s side and Spurs are our direct rivals in the Premier League. While Man United might be in the lead, an agreement is yet to be reached and Chelsea could yet make their move.

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The Toffees cannot be considered lightly despite their poor standing over the past few years. Frank Lampard transformed the youth system at Cobham and could end up doing the same at Goodison as well. We should keep an eye out for that reason and not underestimate their capabilities. Time will give us an answer on who the winners will be in pursuit of the Rovers star.

Our current crop of centre-backs are nearing the latter stages of their playing careers, and we could also lose out on some of those on free transfers after this season. While we do have adequate cover right now, it is always good to plan ahead and safeguard our interests to ensure future success. The English youngster could be just what we need to meet our requirements in the future.