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Tag: Nat Phillips

Six players, including a “world class” player and the league champions, might soon depart Liverpool

The Reds will be making a lot of changes after Jurgen Klopp leaves at the conclusion of the season, and a few players may be going this summer.

This summer, Liverpool will start a new chapter in their history when manager Jurgen Klopp steps down after nearly nine years in charge.

After leaving his position as technical director of Bournemouth at the end of the season, Richard Hughes will take over as the club’s new sporting director. Michael Edwards has returned to his position as chief executive of football for Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group.

After Klopp’s replacement is named, there may be a lot of changes on the pitch as well. With that in mind, Mirror Football has looked at six players who may leave Anfield this summer.

Caoimhin Kelleher

Admired as “world class” by Virgil van Dijk, the captain of Liverpool, Kelleher has been a great substitute for Alisson during the Brazilian’s recent hamstring injury layoff.

It wouldn’t be shocking, though, if Kelleher pursued a transfer to a team where he would be first choice this summer, given that Alisson is expected to reclaim his position as No. 1 once he is fully recovered. Last summer, the 25-year-old was linked to Brentford and Wolves.

Alcantara Thiago

Sadly, Thiago’s four years at Anfield have been hampered by injuries, and it is highly doubtful that Liverpool will attempt to extend his current contract given that it expires at the end of the current campaign.

Thiago, who returned to action for the first time in 10 months after hip surgery, picked up a muscle ailment in February and has only made one appearance this season. After winning league titles in Germany and Spain, a midfielder could be heading for a lucrative move abroad if he can become healthy.

Joel Matip

Matip, who has served Liverpool admirably for the last eight years, is another player whose contract is up this summer. Although Klopp thinks the defender should get a longer term, it is more probable that the defender will be leaving.

After sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in December, the 32-year-old will miss the remainder of the season. Several European teams have been linked to a summer transfer for Matip, who won the FA Cup, League Cup, Premier League, and Champions League with Liverpool.

Adrian

Adrian, who is nearing the conclusion of his sixth year at the team, is another player whose contract with Liverpool could expire this summer. The goalie has only appeared in two games over the past three years and is currently third choice behind Alisson and Kelleher.

Nat Phillips

After three loans in the previous three years, Phillips is currently on loan at Cardiff, a Championship team. This summer, he could leave Liverpool permanently. The 27-year-old is ready for a fresh challenge, and since joining Cardiff in January despite interest from Leeds and Blackburn, he has been a constant presence on the team.

Mohamed Salah

Last summer, Salah was strongly connected to a high-profile transfer to Saudi Arabia. However, Liverpool turned down a £150 million bid from Al-Ittihad, and Salah has since resumed his stellar play for the Reds.

The 31-year-old’s contract expires in 2025, therefore Liverpool may choose to cash in this summer if the Saudis make another sizable bid. Although there are other offensive options available to them that could cover for the vacuum, promising young players like Jayden Danns have also made an impression this season.

March 22, 2024
Salah and the four potential January departures from Liverpool

In an attempt to solidify their title challenge, Liverpool will examine their alternatives during the January transfer window; yet, making additions may require Jurgen Klopp to part with some of his best players.

The Reds, who spent over €150 million in the summer, are currently one point behind Premier League leaders Arsenal. However, due to injuries to important players, it is possible that purchases will be made this winter.

Liverpool signed Cody Gakpo in January of last year, signalling that they would be amenable to a suitable deal should one come up, but it’s probable they’ll need to offload players before adding any big names to their roster.

FootballTransfers examines which players might depart Anfield in order to assist Klopp with any upcoming acquisitions next month.

Thiago Alcantara

Thiago Alcantara’s tenure at Liverpool is probably coming to an end in 2024 because his contract is set to expire in the summer and an extension seems improbable.

Although Klopp anticipates that the 32-year-old will be eligible for selection next month, it’s possible that Thiago is being sold to get Liverpool a return on a player who will be leaving for free and hasn’t been a regular member of the team this season. Thiago hasn’t played since April.

Saudi Arabian teams are rumoured to be interested in Thiago, and Liverpool is willing to accept a lowball offer to remove the Spaniard’s pay so they can use the funds for other projects.

Fabio Carvalho

Fabio Carvalho, who signed with RB Leipzig on loan to replace Dominik Szoboszlai, who transferred to Liverpool at the same time, was expected to have a breakthrough season.

Carvalho has only made one start in the Bundesliga, which was in September. Since then, he has played fewer than 100 minutes of league football, which is why Liverpool decided to terminate his loan in January.

Carvalho may be a squad option when he returns, but it’s more likely that the 21-year-old will go out on loan once more to get more first team experience, as Liverpool still think highly of the player despite his difficulties.

Nat Phillips

Nat Phillips, who has made just three starts for Celtic and whose loan with the Scottish giants is set to expire at the end of the month, is another player in a similar situation to Carvalho.

After Joel Matip suffered a long-term injury, Phillips might be called upon to fill in as backup defender, but it’s more probable that the 26-year-old will be sent on loan or moved permanently.

With just 18 months remaining on his deal and interest from other teams in the past, Phillips is a player that Liverpool will probably have little trouble cutting ties with despite his meagre 19 Premier League appearances.

Mohamed Salah

Although Liverpool finds it incomprehensible to part with a club legend and their most valuable player in the middle of the season, Saudi Pro League teams will still be trying their luck to get Mohamed Salah.

Salah is seen as the ideal athlete for Saudi Arabia’s athletic endeavours, and during the summer, they had a proposal of more than €100 million rejected for the Egyptian.

Salah’s contract expires in 2026, and while Liverpool may accept that he will eventually move to the Gulf, a record transfer offer might encourage the Reds to part ways with their talisman as soon as possible in the hopes of bringing in younger players with a comparable pedigree.

More news……

Liverpool and two other Premier League rivals are vying for the 25-year-old South American’s signature.

Douglas Luiz, a midfielder for Aston Villa, has been connected to a departure from the team in recent months.

According to a report from 90 Min, Liverpool has now entered the competition for the 25-year-old Brazilian midfielder, who is reportedly being watched by many Premier League clubs.

It seems that Liverpool has expressed interest in signing the player should he decide to leave Aston Villa. Liverpool could use more players like the 25-year-old, who has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most dependable midfielders.

Alexis Mac Allister has had to fill in as their defensive midfielder this season because they were unable to buy a quality player during the summer transfer window. The Argentine international is better suited as a number eight, and Mac Allister will be able to play for his country now that Luiz has arrived.

Luiz could finish off Jurgen Klopp’s midfield group for the foreseeable future and would be a great fit for the Liverpool midfield.

The athlete has also been connected to Manchester City and Arsenal.

The player may find the chance to play for a major club appealing, but it appears that the West Midlands club is unwilling to allow him go in January. This season, Aston Villa has been very strong, and they are trying to qualify for the Champions League. It is unclear if Liverpool will want to make a test offer in January, but they won’t want to deplete the team anytime soon

December 21, 2023
The 26-year-old is expected to join Liverpool’s roster in January, and the Reds are eager to see him play at Anfield.

According to rumours on Saturday, Liverpool plans to increase the alternatives available to them at centre back in January.

Wayne Veysey of Football Insider reported this morning that Nat Phillips will likely be called back from his Celtic loan next month. The arrangement was originally scheduled to expire in late August.

With the 26-year-old’s parent club eager to have him back at Anfield in the wake of Joel Matip’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, the Reds are unlikely to exercise their option to extend it until the end of the season.

Liverpool had plenty of choices at centre back, so even if Matip hadn’t torn his ACL, it could have been wise for the Reds to call up Phillips in January given his success in Glasgow.

The defender hasn’t received the regular game time that he and his parent club would have hoped for from his loan move to Celtic; under former LFC manager Brendan Rodgers, he has only made eight appearances. He was also left off of the matchday squad for today’s Premiership match against Hearts.

Jurgen Klopp will have an easy way to add depth to his centre of defence by getting him back to Merseyside, but the manager will probably still be itching to recruit a player in that position next month so they can immediately compete for a starting spot.

Although Phillips has shown admirable quality in the past—most particularly in the second half of the 2020–21 season—his return should be seen as a workaround rather than the answer, given his age of 26 and the lack of evidence that he would ever establish himself at Anfield.

In an ideal world, the Reds’ hierarchy would contemplate giving the “Bolton Baresi” another (more thoughtfully planned) loan period if a reported target like Goncalo Inacio or Piero Hincapie is brought in. However, recalling him would give us enough depth at center-back.

More news……

Liverpool persuaded to sign Jarrad Branthwaite

Liverpool should sign “the revelation of the season,” Jarrad Branthwaite, from fierce rivals Everton, according to Suleyman Ozturk.

Liverpool is looking to add a new defender as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to bring in a vital player for the long run. He would have preferred to have signed in the summer, but the manager was pressed for time and was forced to realign their midfield before he could bolster his defence.

Joel Matip’s season-ending injury may have advanced Klopp’s intentions, as Liverpool prioritises a center-back in January. The Reds’ manager previously acknowledged that teams won’t want to let go of their best players in the middle of the season and alluded to the challenge of locating the ideal candidate.

Meanwhile, he has allowed rookie Jarrel Quansah, who also began against Crystal Palace this past weekend, plenty of playing time. Although he does have some respectable possibilities, he believes that Liverpool needs a strong defence if they hope to contend for both the Premier League and the Europa League.

Liverpool should recruit 21-year-old defender Jarrad Branthwaite, who has been dubbed “the revelation of the season,” from fierce rivals Everton, according to Voetball International’s Suleyman Ozturk. He emphasised the qualities of the Toffees centre defender and stated that he was Virgil van Dijk’s long-term replacement.

“I believe that his time in the Netherlands, specifically in the Eredivisie, has been beneficial for him,” stated Ozkurt.

“You bring up his football prowess, which was also apparent at PSV, but I think his positioning is unbelievable.”I think Broja, the Chelsea striker, was really strong in their duels.

“It was interesting that they highlighted the exact moments that I found intriguing, the ones where he doesn’t bite but stays central, much like Van Dijk at his best,” Michah Richards said of him on Match of the Day.

“If I were Liverpool, I would purchase him to replace Van Dijk.” He is, in my opinion, Everton’s Premier League revelation of the season. He already leads the defence for a team that is having serious problems. It’s difficult to start in the starting lineup for a Sean Dyche team at age 21.

Branthwaite does not want to hurt Everton’s feelings, thus he will only consider relocating to Liverpool. The 21-year-old defender is being pursued by several Premier League teams, and Tottenham is also hoping to make a move before January.

Everton sees Branthwaite as essential to the team’s long-term success and is not interested in selling. Due to a violation of their Profit and Sustainability policies, the Premier League has docked the struggling Toffees 109 points.

More significantly, they won’t dare transfer one of their best assets to fierce rivals Liverpool, even though circumstances may alter. Ozturk’s evaluation of the defence makes a lot of sense, but a Merseyside transfer seems unlikely to happen.

December 16, 2023