Rumour Mongering: Bayer Leverkusen Join Nat Phillips Chase

With Nat Phillips sitting out Tuesday’s friendlies against FC Wacker and Stuttgart, the safe assumption was that he was nearing the completion of his rumoured move to Brighton, with the Seagulls having appeared to have jumped to the front of the queue for the defender.

Rather than completing that move, though, we’re having new potential destinations added to the mix, with Sky today claiming that Bayer Leverkusen have made an approach in order to gauge the £15M-rated Phillips’ interest in returning to Germany on a permanent deal.

Phillips spent a largely successful season in the 2.Bundesliga with Stuttgart in 2019-20, making 22 league appearances for the club—and returning to Liverpool briefly that January on an emergency recall—and helping them to gain promotion to the German top flight.

Regardless the likelihood of Phillips’ interest in returning to Germany, it seems increasingly likely that the player will move on from the Reds this summer. In addition to Brighton and now Bayer, he has been linked with Burnley, West Ham, and Newcastle in recent weeks.

For Liverpool’s part, the club and manager Jürgen Klopp would ideally like to retain the player as a club trained fifth option at centre half, but if Phillips wants to depart for more regular playing time and a club pays their asking price they will not stand in his way.