Some Liverpool fans have been reacting on social media to reports by The Athletic, claiming Jurgen Klopp will decide on Nat Phillips’ future after the club’s pre-season programme.
Klopp wants to see how Phillips, Ben Davies and Rhys Williams perform over the summer before sanctioning any loan or permanent transfers.
Phillips and Williams have both taken strides in their development this season. Phillips made 20 appearances across all competitions and was key to helping the Reds secure a top-four Premier League finish without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez or Joel Matip due to injuries.
Williams also enjoyed minutes in nine fixtures and started each of the final five league games. Davies, meanwhile, is yet to make his Liverpool debut following an initial £500,000 mid-season transfer from Preston North End.
However, Klopp is noted to see similarities between Davies and Andrew Robertson. The left-back took months to adjust to Liverpool’s style of play after joining from Hull City in 2017 but has become one of the best in his position across Europe since.
Liverpool are not actively looking to offload Davies due to Klopp’s support for his potential. He will instead join Phillips and Williams in pre-season to contend for a place in the Reds’ 25-man squad.
The chances of either of the trio leaving in the summer will also hinge on the fitness of Van Dijk, Gomez and Matip. They also face competition from new £36million signing Ibrahima Konate after a deal was agreed with RB Leipzig (Sky Sports).
Here’s how these Liverpool fans reacted to Klopp’s plans for Phillips in particular…