---
title: "Liverpool: Nat Phillips set to stay until the summer"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/liverpool-premier-league-nat-phillips-klopp-transfer-news-updates/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Henry Jackson"
section: "Liverpool News"
published: "2023-01-14T11:05:48Z"
modified: "2023-01-14T11:05:48Z"
---

# Liverpool: Nat Phillips set to stay until the summer

**[Liverpool](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/liverpool-fc-news/) centre-back Nat Phillips is likely to remain at the club until the summer after Virgil van Dijk’s injury, according to journalist James Pearce.**

### The Lowdown: Phillips fifth-choice at Liverpool

The 25-year-old has become something of a cult hero at Anfield, having produced some [spirited and influential performances](https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/burnley-liverpool-phillips-praise-difference-20636363) at the back end of the 2020/21 season.

Phillips is very much the [fifth-choice](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-liverpool/leistungsdaten/verein/31) centre-back option at Liverpool, however, with Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez all ahead of him in the pecking order.

While a move away could happen for the defender in January, it looks as though he is going nowhere.

### The Latest: Defender set to stay

Writing on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/JamesPearceLFC/status/1613902308005539843?s=20&t=Wc1bffoqc-bpLmBkV-i4-g), Pearce claimed that Phillips would now remain at Liverpool for the remainder of the campaign, due to Van Dijk’s current layoff:

> “VVD’s injury means Phillips is highly likely to remain as cover until May.”

[![Liverpool Transfer News and Rumours](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cropped-2021-03-07T155652Z_1459311687_UP1EH3718ASBK_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LIV-FUL-REPORT.jpg)](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/liverpool-transfer-news-and-rumours/)

### The Verdict: Summer exit a must

This is a shrewd decision by Liverpool, although Phillips has still averaged [3.3 aerial duel wins](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/381527/Show/Nathaniel-Phillips) per game this season and been [lauded](https://www.rousingthekop.com/2021/05/16/absolutely-insane-jurgen-klopp-praises-nat-phillips-and-rhys-williams/) as ‘absolutely insane’ by Jurgen Klopp in the past.

\[freshpress-quiz id=“419074″\]

The hope is that the Englishman isn’t needed for the rest of the season as fifth-choice, but having him around gives the Reds that extra option without Van Djik.

Given his [lack of game time](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-liverpool/leistungsdaten/verein/31) until this point, Phillips should seal a permanent move elsewhere in the summer, perhaps making himself a regular at either a lower-end [Premier League](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league-news/) team or a promotion-chasing Championship club.