Brighton are reportedly lining up Nat Phillips as a replacement for Arsenal-bound Ben White, although they could face competition for the Liverpool defender.
According to The Athletic, Brighton are eyeing up a move for Nat Phillips to replace Ben White. The Liverpool defender is in demand with plenty of Premier League interest in the player, although Graham Potter feels he could be the right man to replace the Arsenal bound White.
Brighton are currently well-stocked in central defence, which is also why they extracted full value on White. Arsenal have agreed to pay £50 million, and the deal is expected to conclude after the defender returns from his holidays.
Even after White departs, Brighton will have enough options at the back, but Potter feels the need to replace the outgoing England international. Nat Phillips is understood to be the Seagulls’ manager’s preferred replacement target, with the Liverpool defender reportedly available for a transfer.
Phillips played a major role in Liverpool’s top-four finish in the second half of last season. Jurgen Klopp afforded Phillips regular playing time after injuries to Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez. The Englishman performed admirably to earn praises and garner interest from Premier League sides.
His future at Anfield is in major doubt following the return of all those aforementioned defenders and the acquisition of Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig earlier in the window. Liverpool might sense an opportunity to cash in on Phillips amid broad interest.
Brighton understand that he could be available at a reasonable price and will only cost around one-third of what Arsenal paid for White. However, in light of interests from Newcastle and Burnley, Liverpool could plot to extract top value for the centre-back.
Unlike Newcastle, Brighton have the funds available, and that could help them become frontrunners in a possible deal for Phillips. The Magpies are generally looking at loan deals in the market, as demonstrated in their pursuit of Arsenal’s Joe Willock, and that could lower their chances in the race for the Reds’ defender.
Liverpool have got good value for some of their inexperienced, young players in recent seasons. How much they value, Phillips remains a curious question. Whether that figure falls into Brighton’s affordability will also matter. In all, Phillips will be a good player to replace White and help Brighton fight in their fifth consecutive season in the Premier League.
