Report: £15m man Klopp called ‘unbelievable’ still expected to leave Liverpool this month

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Nat Phillips is still patiently waiting for his January move. Liverpool are yet to have an offer that meets their valuation of the 24-year-old.

That’s according to The Athletic this morning. The report claims that no club has yet met the £15m asking price. But Liverpool still expect Phillips to move before Monday’s deadline.

It is reiterated that Watford have come the closest to signing the centre-back. But their offer of a loan plus guaranteed £7m if they were to avoid relegation from The Premier League was rejected.

Why are Liverpool letting him leave

Phillips’ availability has been an open secret since last summer. His emergency stint in the first team last season revealed him to be more than capable of playing to a Premier League level.

It also bumped his value up to an all-time high. At 24-years-old, with four senior defenders above him in the Liverpool pecking order and with a value that had never been higher, it made sense for all parties to separate amicably.

Unfortunately for the player it never came to pass. As a result, Phillips has had to settle for a fifth-choice berth for The Reds. As there have been no further injury issues at centre-back, the centre-back has been restricted to just one start this season.

That hasn’t stopped Jurgen Klopp waxing lyrical about the man they call “The Bolton Baresi”. In December the Liverpool manager was full of praise for how Phillips has developed his game in the past year or so.

“He’s (Phillips) a late starter, but his development is unbelievable. I would sign him for any club except Liverpool because we have him,” Klopp said per the Liverpool Echo.

The club are obviously confident a deal can be done. But time is running out and although he is a true cult hero with Liverpool fans, it would be a shame if he had to sit out another half-season without playing.