In a recent report, Calciomercato mentioned that Watford are close to sealing a move for Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips. It is understood that the Hornets are planning to land the Reds centre-back during this January transfer window.
Phillips’ Impressive Form At Anfield Last Year
Phillips has seen playing opportunities come at a premium at the Merseyside club this season as he has made only three senior appearances for them so far in all competitions.
The Bolton-born talent caught the eye with some solid displays at the back for Liverpool in the previous campaign when he played in 20 matches, finding the back of the net once and earning one assist across all fronts.
The 24-year-old gave a good account of himself when defending inside his half as he averaged 1.3 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 4.8 clearances per 90 minutes in the 2020-21 Premier League campaign. Phillips even distributed the ball with conviction after he completed 84.2% of his attempted passes in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
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Phillips Close To Sealing A Move To Watford: Good Move For Both Him And Liverpool?
Standing at 1.90m, Phillips is a dominant presence on the defensive end of the pitch and can win his fair share of 50-50 duels in the air. He is a solid tackler of the ball as well and can sense the danger quickly to make a few important interceptions at the back. The English powerhouse is a neat passer of the ball as well which made him such a useful member of Jurgen Klopp‘s match-day squad last year.
Phillips’ current contract at Anfield is set to run out in the summer of 2025. Still, it makes sense for the player to seek a move elsewhere in search of more first-term starts in the coming seasons.
At the moment, Phillips finds himself behind Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez in the Liverpool pecking order. Thus, joining Watford this month will be a good move for both the player and the Merseyside club as they look to move on in search of greener pastures.
