Leeds United are interested in signing Liverpool defender Nat Phillips this summer as the Yorkshire club seeks fresh players to help them regain their Premier League status.
Phil Hay of The Athletic has supplied a new update for Leeds supporters, saying that the Elland Road club are considering a move for the 26-year-old, who has had a peripheral position on Merseyside for several seasons.
Given Phillips’ inexperience, Jurgen Klopp’s side’s £10 million valuation may be a stumbling block in negotiations, but if the price can be cut, the Whites may find the right option as promotion takes center stage.
Phillips, who is under contract at Anfield until 2025, would be a decent addition, having previously put in a number of stoic performances for the Reds and impressed during his brief loan spell with Bournemouth in the 21/22 season.
Phillips has only made 29 appearances for Liverpool since coming through the ranks and making his debut in the FA Cup against Everton in 19/20, a 1-0 victory, and has played just five times this season.
The brilliance of his skill set, though, was on full display at Liverpool’s time of need in 20/21, with a slew of injuries resulting in a decline that left Phillips and Rhys Williams as center defense partners at Anfield.
Klopp described the pair as “absolutely insane,” with Phillips standing out in particular, with an average Sofascore rating of 7.19 across 15 top-flight starts in 20/21, completing 82% of his passes, winning 66% of his aerial duels, averaging 4.8 clearances per game, and keeping seven clean sheets.
The £65k-per-week behemoth, dubbed a “monster in the air” by his boss, also spent the latter half of the 21/22 season on loan at Bournemouth, thereby assisting the south coast club’s pursuit of promotion from the second division.
In 17 games, the 6 foot 3 ace averaged a rating of 7.04 while completing 82% of his passes, winning 69% of his aerial duels, and averaging 4.1 clearances per game.
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