LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 23, 2021: Liverpool's Nathaniel Phillips during the final FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 2-0 and finished 3rd in the table. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Nat Phillips attracts interest from 5th Premier League club

Nat Phillips list of suitors continues to grow, with West Ham the latest to have “registered their interest” in the centre-back.

The 24-year-old made his mark in what was a turbulent season for Liverpool, standing up to the task in his 20 appearances to help his side clinch a valuable third-place finish.

But while such performances would give him a look-in elsewhere, Phillips’ name has slipped down the pecking order behind Ibrahima Konate and the returning trio of Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.

With the latter pair still working their way back to match fitness, however, Phillips did feature for 45 minutes against Mainz after missing the first two mini-games earlier in the week.

His presence in the fixture suggests a move is not close to fruition, with the Athletic‘s James Pearce reporting that the club sees it as “a fluid situation” as they await any bids.

The Reds value Phillips in the region of £15 million and are prepared to do business should the right bid arrive, with West Ham the latest to add their name to the list of suitors.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 31, 2020: Liverpool’s Nathaniel Phillips during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and West Ham United FC at Anfield. The game was played behind closed doors due to the UK government’s social distancing laws during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. (Pic by Propaganda)

Pearce states that the Hammers have “registered their interest in recent days” alongside Bayer Leverkusen, joining Burnley, Brighton and Newcastle in the hunt, with Southampton having also previously been name-checked.

With Phillips’ value never to be higher and his desire to play regular football, Liverpool need to tread carefully if they are to play hardball over any tabled bid.

Whether West Ham would meet Liverpool’s demands remains to be seen, but David Moyes does need to bolster his centre-back ranks with trusted duo Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson both on the wrong side of 30.

Issa Diop and Frederik Alves are available to Moyes but question marks remain over their suitability and Phillips would serve as a young and experienced option.

And Phillips is not the only centre-back who could be on the move as Pearce goes on to say that Sheffield United “are one of a number of clubs” to have enquired about Ben Davies but it too will depend on what Liverpool are offered for his services.

Their potential exits do pose a homegrown player conundrum that Liverpool would need to solve if deals were agreed, however.