Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips signs new contract before Stuttgart loan deal

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Liverpool have confirmed on their official website that defender Nathaniel Phillips has signed a new contract with the club before moving to German club Stuttgart on loan.

Phillips has spent three seasons at Anfield and went on the club’s pre-season tour of America, but will spend the season on loan with the Bundesliga 2 side.

Liverpool have four senior centre halves and the likes of Ki-Jana Hoever and Sepp van den Berg are younger but look to be ahead of Phillips in the pecking order.

A season of regular matches should represent the next stage of his development because he would likely be set for another season in the under 23 side if he remained at Anfield.

The new contract is an indication of the faith Jurgen Klopp has in the defender that he has signed a new long-term deal and he is going to need someone to replace Dejan Lovren sooner rather than later.

Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold have shown the progress that can be made by young defenders at Anfield and the opportunities that Klopp is willing to give.

It’s a long way to that stage yet but Phillips would do his chances no harm by impressing out on loan in Klopp’s native country.