Claudio Ranieri is eyeing a new centre-back for the next phase of Watford’s campaign with Nathaniel Phillips emerging as a key transfer target.
According to Football Insider, Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips is garnering decent interest from Premier League sides in the January window, with Watford the latest club to enter the race for his signing.
After going on yet another losing streak, Watford have struggled to get a grip on their Premier League campaign. Their latest run of six consecutive defeats has kept them closer to the relegation zone, and more losses could push them into the bottom three.
Claudio Ranieri feels the need to strengthen his squad in the current window, with a centre-back high on his priority list. Phillips is being mentioned as a possible target to reinforce the backline. The Liverpool defender could be a welcome addition to a leaky Hornets defensive unit.
Phillips, who has been left frustrated by a lack of game time, is primed to leave the club this month. He confirmed the intention to depart earlier in December, claiming he wants to join a new team where he can feature with regularity.
It clarifies that the defender does not have inhibitions over playing for a specific team, meaning even a Watford stand the chance of signing the player, despite their current league position. West Ham United are reportedly looking at him, as David Moyes seeks a new defender to offset the injury-related absences of Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma.
Liverpool are reportedly looking for around £15 million from suitors, with the club happy to let him leave if a bid close to that figure arrives. When Liverpool went through a major injury crisis in their defensive unit last term, Phillips was on hand to play in 20 games across all competitions, helping them earn a top-four finish.
Hence, clubs are willing to risk investing money into signing him. Whether Watford are successful in their pursuit of the 24-year-old English defender in January remains to be seen. In case they end up missing out on the Liverpool star, they have other alternatives lined up such as Domagoj Vida and Chelsea’s Malang Sarr.
