Overlooked Liverpool ‘beast’ drawing ‘significant interest’ from multiple clubs ahead of summer window

One Liverpool Defender Poised for Summer Exit Amid Heavy Championship Interest

A Liverpool player seemingly destined to depart this summer looks set to have no shortage of options in the coming weeks.

While Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté have established themselves as a formidable centre-back pairing during the Reds’ title-winning campaign, it’s easy to overlook how unsettled the defensive line once was.

Back in the 2020/21 season, with van Dijk sidelined for much of the year through injury, Jürgen Klopp was forced to improvise at the back. In a season riddled with setbacks, the unlikely partnership of Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams emerged to help secure a third-place finish against the odds.

Since then, Williams has gone out on loan to five different clubs and remains under contract, while Phillips—whose deal expires this month—is expected to move on permanently after years of loyal service.

Championship Clubs Eye Phillips After Derby Loan Success

According to Gregg Evans in The Athletic’s Transfer DealSheet, Phillips is attracting strong interest from multiple Championship sides, including West Brom, following a successful loan spell at Derby County. At 28, the defender may finally get the stability he’s lacked throughout a career marked by constant moves.

Phillips leaves behind a legacy of stepping up when Liverpool needed him most. Nicknamed the “Bolton Baresi,” he featured 29 times for the Reds, with his last appearance coming in January 2023 in an FA Cup tie against Wolves.

Despite slipping down the pecking order, Phillips left an impression on several managers. Klopp once praised him as an “aerial monster,” while Derby’s manager labelled his performances in the Championship as “outstanding” and expressed a desire to bring him back.

Any second-tier side with promotion ambitions could do far worse than signing Phillips, who also played a key role in Bournemouth’s promotion to the Premier League in 2022.

With fatherhood on the horizon, Phillips now hopes to settle at a club where he can be a regular starter. And if things go well, perhaps fans elsewhere will witness a repeat of his iconic Cruyff turn at the San Siro against AC Milan in 2021—one of many moments that cemented his cult status among Liverpool supporters.