Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis got the best out of winger Matt Phillips during his spell in the Premier League with West Bromwich Albion.
There is just a month remaining in the transfer window and, so far, West Bromwich Albion have managed to hang on to most of their key players.
Ben Foster might have gone to Watford but, despite links with countless Premier League clubs, Craig Dawson, Salomon Rondon, Jay Rodriguez and Jake Livermore are still at The Hawthorns.
The next few weeks, however, could see the Baggies’ squad decimated. And one of the first out the door could be the jet-heeled winger Matt Phillips. According to TEAMtalk, it is understood that the Scotland international is a target for Middlesbrough.
And with Boro boss Tony Pulis aiming to make up to four new signings this week with the likes of Sam Vokes, Peter Crouch and Mo Besic allegedly on the radar, it is understood that the North East outfit will now step up their attempts to lure Phillips to the Riverside over the coming days.
The Baggies paid £5.5 million to sign the former Blackpool speedster from Queens Park Rangers in the summer of 2016 and he was fantastic in his debut season in the Midlands, scoring four times and providing eight Premier League assists.
It is no coincidence that Phillips’ best form in a West Brom shirt came when Pulis was at the helm. And his influence declined massively once the veteran Welshman was replaced by Alan Pardew in the autumn of last year.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
