PL club step up interest in Liverpool defender Phillips
Brighton are poised to make a move for Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips as they look to replace Arsenal-bound star Ben White.
Arsenal are said to have agreed a £50million deal for White, so the Seagulls will look to sort a replacement before they kick off their Premier League season against Burnley next month.
Brighton and their opening day opponents are the favourites to sign Phillips, but Newcastle and Southampton are also monitoring the defender.
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The Englishman became a surprise hero at Anfield last season due to the club’s injury saga.
Problems for Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip saw Phillips thrust into the first team under Jurgen Klopp.
He put in some solid displays during his 20 appearances and even scored his first Premier League goal against Burnley on the penultimate day.
Liverpool could cash in on Phillips after his impressive season and are open to selling the 24-year-old for the right price.
The ex-Stuttgart loanee was asked about his situation at the Reds recently, saying: “The plan at the moment is to go back to Liverpool for pre-season and just go from there, really.
“Every player wants to be playing games, and at the stage I’m at, I need to be playing games for my development. I think if you look from my first game last season to my last, there was development and I felt a lot more confident and comfortable. I want to keep that progression.
“In terms of Liverpool, they obviously play a huge amount of games every year. Game-time is never guaranteed for anyone, but it would depend on whether there’s enough opportunity within those games for me, I guess.”
The Merseyside club have boosted their options in central defence with the acquisition of RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate.
Fellow centre-back Rhys Williams could also spend the next campaign on loan in a bid to gain more experience.
In May, former Liverpool goalkeeper David James urged his former club to use Phillips as van Dijk’s partner in defence next season.
“He’s not the most pretty on the eye, but he is a very strong defender. His first appearance for Liverpool, he dominated Benteke with a header,” he told Stadium Astro.
“He’s got everything you want in a defender.
“If you have someone like van Dijk, you have the experience and the speed to back him up. Nat Phillips and van Dijk would make a wonderful partnership.”