Highlights
- Leeds United are preparing a big-money offer to sign Liverpool defender Nat Phillips to strengthen their squad for the upcoming Championship season.
- Phillips’ experience in Championship football and quality as a centre-back would be a major asset to Leeds, especially with the recent injury blows to their squad.
- Despite limited game-time at Liverpool, Phillips has proven his worth in loan spells and has been praised by Jurgen Klopp for his strengths and performances.
Leeds United remain in the market to bolster the depth in their squad for their challenging Championship season ahead, and now a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of a potential target.
What’s the latest on Leeds’ interest in Nat Phillips?
According to journalist and transfer insider Peter O’Rourke, Leeds are preparing a big-money offer to sign Liverpool defender Nat Phillips this summer.
As per a report written for Football Insider, O’Rourke has claimed that the Whites will go back into the market for defensive reinforcements after Liam Cooper suffered an injury blow, with Phillips named alongside Taylor Harwood-Bellis as the prime targets to replace the centre-back during his recovery.
Will Leeds sign Nat Phillips?
There is no doubt that Daniel Farke will be feeling the pressure following a number of injury issues already plaguing his squad at Elland Road, alongside ongoing transfer drama involving Italian winger Wilfried Gnonto and midfielder Tyler Adams.
Crysencio Summerville is out of action with a groin strain, whilst Junior Firpo is still recovering from torn lateral ligaments in his knee and not expected to be back for at least four weeks, as well as a huge blow to Liam Cooper who will be out of action for eight weeks due to a ruptured plantar fascia.
As a result, the signing of Phillips could not be a more urgent for the West Yorkshire club, as his experience of Championship football and quality in the centre-back role would be a major asset to Farke over the upcoming fixtures for Leeds in the second tier.
The Liverpool defender has struggled for game-time at Anfield over his tenure at the club due to the high-quality competition the club boasts with Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez all ahead of the Bolton-born titan.
Indeed, all has not been lost for Phillips – who has a reported price tag of £10m – as he has taken every opportunity to prove his worth when either leaned on by Jurgen Klopp or during loan spells away from Merseyside, especially during his six-month stint Bournemouth in the 2021/22 season.
Over 17 Championship appearances, the 26-year-old – once hailed “colossal” by journalist Josh Bunting – tallied up an 82% pass completion rate, kept eight clean sheets, successfully completed 50% of his dribbles and won 65% of his duels combined, as well as averaging 76.1 touches and 53.5 accurate passes per game, proving he is a huge and dominant presence on the pitch.
Despite being rarely-seen in the starting eleven under Klopp, the Liverpool boss has waxed lyrical about Phillips’ strengths in the past, following an outstanding performance in the Champions League back in 2021:
“Oh my god. What a boy he is, what player he is, what a night it is for him.”
“The concentration level he shows now week in week out since he is playing for us is absolutely incredible.”
With that being said, if Leeds could secure the services of Phillips it would undoubtedly soften the blow in Cooper’s absence, but would also provide Farke with a high quality defender who could be a reliable contributor throughout the season.
