Nathaniel Phillips could be sold to Galatasaray
bildbyran

The current front-runners in the battle to recruit Liverpool misfit are Turkish heavyweights Galatasaray

Phillips, who was once touted as a promising young player, has found it difficult to find playing time on the red side of Merseyside this year. The English centre defender has only started one league game this year, against Crystal Palace in August when Jurgen Klopp’s team was without centre backs due to injuries.

Benfica was interested in signing Phillips on a season-long loan, but Klopp decided to keep him at the club due to Liverpool’s injury crisis. Burnley, Southampton, and Bournemouth all expressed strong interest. The Carabao Cup match against Derby County marked Phillips’ only other start for the Reds this year; all of his other outings have been as a substitute.

Phillips has played for other teams on loan over the most of his time at Liverpool, including two seasons with VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. He was also a member of the Bournemouth team under Scott Parker that won promotion to the Premier League the previous year. The 25-year-old defender has fallen well behind the other defenders since his comeback, and the Liverpool club has decided he is no longer needed. Following Virgil van Dijk’s hamstring injury, Phillips had seemed destined to remain at Liverpool for the duration of this campaign to cover the backline.

However, Liverpool may now approve a deal for Phillips’ departure thanks to Rhys Williams’ early return from his loan period at Blackpool last week. The Englishman is apparently being pursued by a number of Bundesliga clubs, but Galatasaray appears to be the most likely destination. Phillips is open to the thought of moving to Istanbul.

The current phase of discussions for Phillips, whom Liverpool values at about £10 million, is taking place between the top teams in Turkey. Both parties are considering the pros and cons of a straightforward loan arrangement, a loan with a buyout option this summer, and a permanent transfer this month.

See More: