Liverpool defender Nat Phillips keen to leave amidst a lack of gametime
According to Sky Sports, Liverpool star Nat Phillips is pushing to leave the club amidst a lack of regular playing time.
A relative unknown, Liverpool’s, injury crisis last season saw Jurgen Klopp forced to put his faith in Phillips. The 24-year-old stepped up to the plate and ensured the Reds qualified for this season’s UEFA Champions League.
The return of Liverpool’s top defenders has seen Phillips take a back seat once again. He however remains a solid fifth choice and was excellent at the San Siro where he made defending look easy.
The British defender made 20 appearances across all competition last season and had a massive impact in the Reds’ 3rd place finish.
However, last season’s heroics didn’t earn him a cemented place in Jurgen Klopp’s team. Moreover, The signing of Ibrahim Konate from RB Leipzig has only decreased his chances. This season, he has only made four appearances with no Premier League game time.
Amid such a situation, the defender suggested that even though he wants to feature in games, the competition he is up against at the Merseyside team is immense. He also revealed that Jurgen Klopp is accordant with the 24-year-old’s necessity to play regular games.
“The manager and I agree that the best thing for me is to play as many games as possible.”
Nevertheless, Phillips pointed out that gaining regular game time at the Merseyside team is improbable for him, and thus he is open to opportunities to play away from Anfield.
“I think at this moment in time, it’s unlikely that I’ll be playing lots of games for Liverpool, so if an opportunity arises where I get the chance to do that somewhere else, and it suits everyone, then it’s certainly something I’d be interested in.”
It is believed that West Ham are the front runners to sign the defender in the coming transfer window. Unlike on Merseyside, the Irons can offer Phillips more time on the pitch.
Liverpool currently have insane depth in the defensive line. Even Joe Gomez isn’t getting regular chances amid such a tight line-up. But looking at last season’s disaster, it was inevitable that Jurgen Klopp would do something to prevent such a scenario in the future.
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Nat Phillips has been a great servant for Reds. At the same time, he is entering his peak years and playing top-flight football would become a priority. Thus, his departure wouldn’t come as a surprise.
On the other hand, the Reds board should look for younger alternatives to fill up the place if he decides to leave. The German manager should look into his youth ranks to find talented players.
