In a recent report, Liverpool Echo revealed that West Ham United are among several clubs hoping to sign Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips this summer. It is understood that the Hammers could face competition in the form of Newcastle United, Southampton, Burnley, Brighton & Hove Albion and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the race to land the English centre-back during this summer transfer window (via Liverpool Echo).
Phillips’ Impressive Campaign At Liverpool Last Season
Phillips experienced a solid campaign with the Merseyside outfit recently as he helped them overcome an injury crisis in defence and secure a strong third-place finish in the Premier League. The 24-year-old made 20 appearances for the Reds last season, registering one goal and one assist on all fronts.
The Bolton-born sensation proved his value as a reliable central defender by averaging 1.4 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 4.6 clearances per game in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. Phillips even distributed possession quite well from the back after he completed 84% of his attempted passes in both those competitions (stats via whoscored).
The English talent is slowly maturing into a solid centre-back but there are some serious concerns over whether he would get any game time if he stays at Anfield beyond this summer. Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate are all ahead of Phillips in Jurgen Klopp’s pecking order, so the player has a lot of reasons to seal a move to a club like West Ham where he will be able to fight for regular first-team football in the coming seasons.
Is Phillips The Right Fit For The Hammers?
Standing at 1.90m, Phillips can use his robust frame to dominate the opposition attackers in the air as he can often overpower them when defending his penalty box. He can sense the danger quickly and loves to put his foot through the ball when in danger of being exposed at the back.
The English centre-half can time his challenges well and is a composed presence on the ball. However, his lack of pace can sometimes make him a liability on the field. Even then, Phillips will suit David Moyes’ playing style quite well at the London Stadium.
At 24, the Liverpool defensive ace has his best years ahead of him, so Moyes can expect to make the most out of his services if he can manage to win the race for him this summer. Phillips will add a lot of bite and steel to the Hammers backline and could go on to offer some healthy competition for Issa Diop, Craig Dawson and Angelo Ogbonna at the East London club in the coming seasons. Hence, the Reds defender will be a good fit for West Ham this summer as long as he gets a regular run of games to prove his worth in top-flight football over the next few years.
