An update has emerged on Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips regarding the club's thoughts on his future ahead of tonight's transfer deadline.

What's the talk?

According to James Pearce of The Athletic, Jurgen Klopp's side are expecting offers to come in for the centre-back before the window slams shut at 11pm.

The report claims that the Reds value Phillips at £12m and would be willing to keep him at the club if they do not receive what they deem to be a reasonable bid.

Time's up

Michael Edwards must capitalise on this expected interest from clubs in Phillips' services by accepting an offer for the defender. The 24-year-old should be commended for the role he played during Liverpool's injury crisis last season, but time is now up for the centre-back at Anfield and moving him on is the best solution for all parties involved.

Phillips has not made a Premier League matchday squad as of yet, with Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez all ahead of him in the pecking order as it stands. It would be incredibly unlucky for the Reds to go through another period of having their three first-choice defenders out for the majority of the season as they had last term, which means that Phillips may not be needed at all.

Edwards brought Konate in from RB Leipzig for a reported fee of £36m earlier this summer, pushing Phillips further down in Klopp's thinking. This has left him on the fringes, as shown by his lack of involvement in the 2021/22 Premier League so far, which is why he must be sold before 11pm if a decent offer comes Liverpool's way.

If any Premier League or European club comes in with a bid of around £10m or higher, then Edwards must take the money. It would add more transfer funds to the kitty ahead of the January transfer window or next summer while also allowing Phillips to go and play regular football elsewhere which he seems unlikely to get on Merseyside.

The 24-year-old stepped in last season and averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 7.29 in 17 Premier League appearances for Klopp's side. This shows that he was able to perform when called upon and can be a reliable option, but there is little point in keeping him if he is not even making the bench when Liverpool could bring in a good fee for his services. This is why Edwards must cash in on him and allow him to depart Anfield in the next few hours.

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