After being linked with a permanent move from Liverpool throughout the summer, Nat Phillips is now expected to leave on another loan deal.
Phillips is into his eighth year with Liverpool now, and half of those have been spent on the verge of leaving for various clubs.
Loan spells with Stuttgart and Bournemouth have come alongside interest from sides in England, Germany, Italy, Turkey and the Netherlands, including Leeds and Feyenoord this summer.
But while a £10 million move to Leeds had been mooted, it now seems as though Phillips is more likely to depart on another loan.
According to The Athletic‘s James Pearce, Championship club Middlesbrough have joined the pursuit of the 26-year-old.
There are a “number of clubs keen to secure his services,” with Phillips “desperate to play regular first-team football.”
The prospect of Phillips moving on loan again is a strange one, particularly given the lack of depth at present in the centre-back ranks.
Virgil van Dijk is currently suspended and Ibrahima Konate out until after the international break through injury, leaving Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and youngster Jarell Quansah as options.
While the absence of Van Dijk and Konate is only short term, it represents a familiar trend of issues within Klopp’s defensive unit.
Phillips has often been required to shelve plans to move due to late injuries to the likes of Matip and Konate, which has undoubtedly seen Liverpool lose millions in potential transfer fees.
But this summer, with Quansah emerging as a viable option and there still a chance of another signing, cashing in on the No. 47 seemed the right decision.
To allow Phillips to leave on a temporary basis again, especially to a club in the Championship, would see both player and club spinning their wheels.
However, with just days remaining in the summer transfer window, Liverpool find themselves in a less favourable position when it comes to talks over selling the defender.
Phillips has not been regularly involved in first-team training in recent months, with fitness issues keeping him sidelined.
Leeds have already signed Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon to bolster their centre-backs, potentially ruling out any further interest.
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