Nat Phillips will depart Liverpool on a permanent basis this summer, leaving the club after almost a decade and having taken in five loan spells since 2019.
Having joined the club from Bolton in 2016, Phillips emerged as a reliable emergency option for Jurgen Klopp during an injury crisis at centre-back.
But having penned a new five-year contract after his breakout campaign in 2020/21, the no-nonsense defender often found himself priced out of a long-term move elsewhere.
That will change this summer, as the Telegraph‘s John Percy reports on X that Phillips is set to complete a permanent transfer to West Brom this week – likely for a nominal fee.
Phillips is expected to join Ryan Mason’s side ahead of the start of pre-season, which kicks off with initial testing on Wednesday.
This comes following contact with Liverpool last week, and with fellow Championship side Wrexham among their rivals for the 28-year-old’s signature.
A move to the Hawthorns will provide Phillips with more stability after temporary spells with Stuttgart, Bournemouth, Celtic, Cardiff and most recently Derby, with it likely he takes up a first-choice starting role.
Phillips made 29 appearances for Liverpool’s first team, debuting in 2019/20 before playing 20 times in the following campaign as he formed a partnership with Rhys Williams.
That came with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all sidelined and Klopp turning to his academy after experimenting with the likes of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and loanee Ozan Kabak as centre-back options.
His commitment during that campaign, which saw Liverpool finish third against the odds, earned Phillips cult status among supporters.
But it has long been the case that he has needed a permanent move elsewhere, only for the club to seemingly price him out of a potential transfer amid ongoing interest.
Clubs in the Bundesliga, Serie A, the Eredivisie and the Turkish Super Lig have been named as suitors in years gone by, but a switch to the Championship should allow Phillips to settle as a stalwart and, hopefully, gain a place back in the Premier League.
Phillips is set to be among the first of a number of fringe players to leave Liverpool this summer, with left-back Owen Beck also attracting interest from newly promoted Wrexham.
Offers will also be encouraged for 24-year-old centre-back Williams, who spent last season on loan with Morecambe and is into the final year of his contract.
The likes of Luca Stephenson, Oakley Cannonier, Isaac Mabaya and James Balagizi could find new homes, while Liverpool will surely be open to offers for Kaide Gordon and Calvin Ramsay among others.
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