The Athletic claim Daniel Farke has been keeping an eye on Liverpool defender Nat Phillips ever since he went on loan to Stuttgart in the summer of 2019 – with the Reds centre-back now a £10m target for the new Leeds boss.
Phillips, 26, is keen to leave Liverpool this summer after managing just seven first-team games for the club last season. But he still has a contract at Anfield until 2025, and Leeds will have to pay a fee. He is valued at £10m.
The Whites are likely to be in the market for a right-footed central defender. It comes after Robin Koch left the club to join Frankfurt. Diego Llorente and Rasmus Kristensen are expected to join Roma on loan in the coming days.
So, Phillips could come in as a replacement. Phil Hay, writing in The Athletic, says that Phillips is on our radar. A player that Farke has been tracking since he first moved to Germany, on loan at Stuttgart from Liverpool in 2019.
New Leeds boss Farke has been keeping eye on Phillips since 2019
Phillips would be a good signing at centre-back, but Leeds must be wary as to whether Phillips would stunt the pathway of Charlie Cresswell into the senior side. Cresswell has long been touted as a future Leeds captain.
Bringing Phillips to the club would instantly improve our options at centre-back. But, it would likely see him start over Cresswell – with Liam Cooper and Max Wober vying for the other slot on the left side of central defence.
So, is it worth splashing £10m? Leeds do need competition for Cresswell, but perhaps not one that immediately overtakes the academy product. A tricky decision that Farke and the Leeds board will have to make this summer.
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