Championship side Burnley are keen on Liverpool defender Nat Phillips

According to a report from The Athletic, new Burnley boss Scott Parker is interested in signing Liverpool defender Nat Phillips.

Scott Parker was appointed as the new Burnley boss over the weekend, with the Englishman replacing Vincent Kompany following his switch to Bayern Munich. He has worked with Nat Phillips before when the Liverpool centre-back spent time on loan at Bournemouth during the 2021/22 season.

Phillips moved to Bournemouth on loan for the second half of the 2021/22 campaign and helped the South Coast club achieve promotion to the Premier League under the tutelage of Parker. He made 17 appearances during his temporary spell with the Cherries, and after seemingly enjoying working with the defender, Parker wants to be reunited with Phillips at his new club Burnley.

The aforementioned report states that Liverpool have already turned down a £4 million bid from Turkish outfit Trabzonspor and wants a fee of around £8 million to let the 27-year-old leave this summer.

Phillips is surplus to requirements at Anfield but his contributions during the 2020/21 campaign will never be forgotten by the Liverpool fans. Amidst a defensive crisis, he stepped up to the plate and helped the Reds finish third in the Premier League and subsequently qualify for the Champions League.

Since being promoted from the Liverpool academy to the first team, the Bolton-born defender has largely spent his tenure at the club on loan spells with VfB Stuttgart, Bournemouth, Celtic and Cardiff City. He joined Celtic last summer, but after struggling to break into their side under Brendan Rodgers, Phillips was recalled by Liverpool. He joined Championship side Cardiff City on a temporary five-month spell in the January transfer window and ended up making 18 appearances.

Now into the final year of his contract, the Reds want to cash in Phillips rather than lose him on a free transfer next year. They have slapped an £8 million price tag on his head and selling him would go down as pure profit to the club’s books, owing to Phillips being an academy product.

Phillips might never have enjoyed a regular run of games for Liverpool. However, he was a monster of a player when called upon as Jurgen Klopp attested. His ability and confidence have also been apparent on the big stage. Zlatan Ibrahimovic would attest to that.

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Under new boss Arne Slot, the club is seeking defensive reinforcements to compete with the current crop of players and eventually succeed them. While Phillips stepped up for us when things were dire back in the 2020/21 campaign, his time in Merseyside is nearing its end. That said, a move to Burnley should help the Englishman rejuvenate his career under Parker and finally find a permanent home.