There are reports Manchester United and Chelsea are angling to sign Blackburn teen sensation Ashley Phillips.

The two Premier League giants now have a constant presence at Rovers’ Under-21 games to watch the classy 16-year-old centre-half.

The England youth cap is under contract so it will cost a fortune to get him.

Phillips is rated the best discovery at Rovers for years and a genuine top-level prospect at club and country level.

United raided Blackburn for 27-cap England star Phil Jones at the start of the Venky’s reign at Ewood Park a decade ago.

Chelsea are on the hunt for the best youngsters around for their well-oiled assembly line.

Everton and Tottenham have also been watching Phillips, but United and Chelsea head the queue.

Boss Tony Mowbray certainly feels Phillips is going places.

Mowbray told Lancs Live: “He’s 6ft 4′, he’s fast, mobile and can pass it really well. He can use both feet, he’s composed.

“Ash is just a phenomenal young boy; if you were to create a defender in the mould of how you would want one, this kid has got every attribute.

“But he is still just a young boy. He needs time, which is why he’s training with the first-team so that he gets confident and used to the level of intensity.

“He’s an exciting prospect, is all I’d say. But it’s in a position where there is a lot of responsibility.

“It’s not as easy to put a really talented young defender in as opposed to a talented young striker where it doesn’t matter if he loses the ball every now and then.

“As a defender, you’re judged on keeping the ball out of the net and winning your individual duels.

“He is just a boy but he’s got some amazing attributes. We’ve got high hopes that he can progress quickly.”

Photo Credit: AshPhillips05_/Twitter

Reports in Spain claim that Barcelona are determined to keep defence ace Ronald Araujo despite moves by Chelsea and other top European club to prise the youngster away from Camp Nou.

The Uruguayan centre-back has less than 18 months left on his contract but the club are hopeful of convincing him to stay for the long term

Barcelona have made tying Ronald Araujo to a contract extension a priority, as coach Xavi insists the defender is the “present and future of the club”.

The 22-year-old’s current deal expires in June 2023 and it has been reported in Spain that talks over an extension were frozen early in the season.

Sport , as cited by Goal, reported on Saturday that several top teams are interested and that Chelsea are the leading candidates to lure him away from Camp Nou.

But Xavi says the club will work hard to convince the Uruguay international, who has made 24 appearances in all competitions this season, to stay for the long term.

“Of course it’s a priority. Ronald is a very important centre-back. He’s helping us a lot,” Xavi told reporters.

“We are really happy with his performances. He’s a loved player in the locker room. It’s one of our priorities to extend his contract with the club and his agent.

“He is the present and future of the club.”

Photo Credit: RonaldAraujo_4/Twitter

Saul left Atletico Madrid to go and join Chelsea on loan until the end of the season during the summer transfer window.

It was a big move for a player who couldn’t speak English and had never played outside of Spain, and it wasn’t without it’s difficulties.

The 27-year-old broke into Atletico’s first team in 2012 and has since made 340 appearances for the club.

But he fell out of favour under Diego Simeone last season and when he did play he played out of position, at left-back rather than central midfield. It soon became clear that a change of scenery was best for both parties.

“I needed to get my head out of the world of Atletico Madrid for a while because I’ve been there since I was 12 years old and everything affected me much more,” Saul said in comments carried by Mundo Deportivo as cited by Football Espana.

“If the fans whistle you it affects you much more because those people are your people and when you have difficult moments you live them in a different way.”

Saul initially found it highly difficult playing in the fast-paced Premier League and was hooked at half-time on his debut by Thomas Tuchel. But little-by-little he’s adapted to life in England and began to become an important part of the squad. So far he’s made 14 appearances for Chelsea, accumulating 694 minutes.