11 months ago
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The defender’s half-season loan at Celtic will not be extended with Phillips having seen less playing time than hoped for.
Nat Phillips’ loan to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership hasn’t gone anything like as well as would have been hoped, with the 26-year-old centre half making just eight appearances and playing a total 405 minutes—or just 51 per appearance—to date.
As a result, there will be no consideration given to extending the defender’s half-season loan in Scotland and the player will return to Liverpool when the January transfer window opens, with the plan then to find Phillips a new short-term home.
The news was first reported this week on the Celtic end by The Daily Record, and has since been picked up and confirmed by multiple journalists with ties to Liverpool. Given Phillips’ limited playing time at Celtic, though, it hardly comes as a surprise.
Despite the loss of Ibrahima Konaté for the season, there has been no real suggestion—yet, at least—that the club might seek to retain Phillips as a fifth-choice centre half option for the second half of the 2023-24 season following his return to Liverpool.
