1 year ago
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Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
If the rumours are true, a move to a Leeds side seeking an immediate return to the Premier League could be the best option for everyone.
Following a 2020-21 that saw him unexpectedly make 20 first team appearances while helping Liverpool to a top four finish and that had his stock at an all-time high, the time seemed right for Nat Phillips to head off to a bottom-half Premier League side.
When no offer arrived that satisfied Liverpool’s valuation, though, Phillips stayed at the club. Then he stayed for another season, with his next two years at Anfield seeing him make just eight appearances—with just two of those coming in the Premier League.
Now 26, it’s fair to say whatever fee Liverpool might have hoped to receive for him in 2021 won’t be arriving, and not departing the club two summers ago increasingly looks to have been something of a missed opportunity for Phillips from a career perspective.
According to The Athletic, though, there is interest in the Bolton-born centre half this summer from Leeds United, who are back in the Championship this season after finishing 19th in 2022-23 and targeting an immediate return to England’s top flight.
The question now will be how serious that interest is—and if Leeds are willing and able to meet whatever valuation the Reds now have. On paper, though, it seems a solid option for Phillips, and perhaps the best that could be hoped for after the past two years.
