Liverpool: David Lynch claims Nat Phillips being denied exit is ‘odd’
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Liverpool journalist David Lynch claims that it was ‘odd’ that the club did not allow Nat Phillips to leave on Transfer Deadline Day.
The Lowdown: Galatasaray links
It was reported just before deadline day that Turkish club Galatasaray were ‘leading the chase’ to sign Phillips, but news then emerged that Ibrahima Konate will face up to three weeks out with a hamstring injury.
That leaves Jurgen Klopp with just four fit central defenders in his senior squad including Phillips, with Virgil van Dijk also out injured, meaning that the Merseysiders were more reluctant to let the Englishman leave before the deadline.
The Latest: ‘Odd’ decision
Taking to Twitter, Lynch claimed that it was an ‘odd’ decision by the club not to let Phillips go, despite injuries to both Konate and Van Dijk:
“If Liverpool are waiting for all their centre-backs to be fit before letting Nat Phillips go then he will likely be at Anfield until his contract ends. Odd not to allow him to truly kickstart his career elsewhere, particularly as the Konate/Van Dijk injuries aren’t long-term.”
Should Liverpool have sold Nat Phillips?
The Verdict: Cannot take chances
Lynch’s stance is understandable, given that Phillips has never been a regular during his time at Anfield, but with Konate’s latest injury on top of Van Dijk’s, the Reds cannot afford to let themselves be short in the centre-back position in the second part of the season.
Once hailed as a ‘monster‘ in the air by Klopp, the six-foot-two colossus has stepped in well before when his side have had injury problems in the past, and can certainly do a job again for the next few games if needed.
The £65,000-per-week ace ranks in the 98th percentile for aerials won per game of all centre-halves in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, which is very much his strength, and is more than capable of providing defensive cover in the backline.
Given his lack of game time, Phillips should move on from Liverpool sooner rather than later, but the 25-year-old must stay put for now.
