Transfer News: Liverpool rethink Nat Phillips plans with Joel Matip future in mind
According to Liverpool Echo, Liverpool are now mulling over the decision to sell Bournemouth transfer target Nat Phillips this summer as they look for a long-term Joel Matip replacement.
The Englishman was out on loan with the Cherries for the second half of this season and helped them win promotion to the Premier League. Bournemouth have been linked with either a permanent or loan move for the defender.
The Reds have apparently slapped a £15m price tag on the 25-year-old centre-back, according to the Echo and covered by The Kop Times. His contributions in the 2020/21 season have really raised his stocks considering he was far removed from first-team action at LFC before that.
But now, Liverpool are in two minds about cashing in on the defender this summer. They believe that Phillips could be a successor to Cameroonian star Joel Matip, who turns 31 this August.
What to do with Nathaniel Phillips?
The former Schalke star also has an unimpressive fitness record with the Merseysiders. This decision makes sense to an extent.
After all, Phillips isn’t really a bad fourth-choice defender to have in case one of our senior stars picks up a long-term injury. But with a long-term plan in mind, the Reds can surely find another top-quality defender to replace Matip.
Phillips, who came through Bolton Wanderers’ academy, isn’t really operating at the level of the best defenders in England. Matip, on the other hand, has often held his own alongside a world-class superstar in Virgil van Dijk.
Surely the Reds can do better if they want to replace Matip in the long term. Right now, it seems like a good option to cash in on him and use the funds elsewhere.
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B’mouth could be eager to retain a player who did well for them last season while LFC, at least with their current squad, have no urgent use for him.
