Newly-promoted Premier League side Bournemouth could rekindle their interest in Liverpool defender Nat Phillips, according to the Liverpool Echo.
The lowdown: 2020/21 hero
Suddenly thrust into the limelight following a crippling injury crisis within the Anfield defensive ranks, Phillips was a standout performer during the 2020/21 run-in as Jurgen Klopp’s side went 10 matches unbeaten to qualify for the Champions League.
However, despite his heroics alongside Rhys Williams, the 25-year-old soon fell back down down the Reds’ pecking order as Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez all regained their fitness.
Dubbed the ‘Bolton Baresi’ for his ruthless defensive exploits, Phillips was sent out on loan to promotion-chasing Bournemouth for the second half of the 2021/22 campaign and helped to get the Cherries back into the top flight.
The latest: Interest rekindled
Permanent offers had been expected following that successful spell on the south coast, but Bournemouth had until now declined to act upon their apparent admiration.
As per the Liverpool Echo, the Cherries are now believed to be ‘considering reigniting their interest’ in Phillips as the new Premier League season looms large.
It’s claimed that Scott Parker is questioning his options at the back having lost Gary Cahill in the summer, and Liverpool could be willing to sanction the sale of their no-nonsense centre-back should bids in the region of £12m to £15m be forthcoming.
The verdict: Let him go
As things stand, Phillips is the fifth-choice senior centre-back in Klopp’s ranks, although the troubling injury suffered by Ibrahima Konate which saw the Frenchman hobble off to be replaced by the former Stuttgart loanee against Strasbourg could offer a temporary opportunity to move up the ladder.
Last season, the £7.2m-valued warrior – who was hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by ex-Liverpool midfielder turned Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp following an impressive display against Burnley – made just three fleeting appearances for the Reds across all competitions.
So often needing to extract maximum value from each player sale in order to fund incomings elsewhere, Liverpool’s sporting director Julian Ward will no doubt be looking to obtain every possible penny from the sale of Phillips, and £15m would certainly be a superb windfall for a player with just 17 top-flight outings to his name.
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