Farke eyeing Leeds move to sign "absolutely insane" £64,000-a-week defender
Farke eyeing Leeds move to sign “absolutely insane” £64,000-a-week defender
Daniel Farke and Leeds United have been showing interest in Liverpool defender Calvin Ramsay, who’s recently been recalled from what was supposed to be a season-long loan at Preston. Speaking in a press conference earlier this week, the Reds’ assistant manager Pep Lijnders confirmed he would make another temporary move for the remainder of the campaign.
In the same update, Lijnders said that centre-back Nat Phillips would be following him out of the Anfield door. Like Ramsay, Phillips had come back to Liverpool early rather than seeing out the season at Celtic, but despite his struggles at Parkhead, he’s generating considerable “interest”. Leeds, it seems, are one of the clubs keen on the Englishman.
Leeds eye Phillips alongside Ramsay
According to The Daily Mail, Phillips could be a target for Leeds. The Whites are “keeping an eye” on his situation with a view to potentially making a move before the transfer deadline on 1 February. However, they may have to overcome significant competition if they’re to win the race.
Cardiff and Blackburn are both eager to sign him, though promotion-chasing Leeds may be a more appealing destination for Phillips than the lower mid-table duo.
In a further update on Ramsay, Leeds are said to be “leading the way”, but Southampton, who currently sit one place and one point above Farke’s side in the table (albeit having played a game fewer) are in the picture too.
Leeds could profit from “absolutely insane” Phillips improvement
In 2019, Phillips was playing his football in the German second tier with Stuttgart, and he hadn’t so much as made a Premier League appearance for Liverpool. The following year, though, the Reds lost Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip to season-ending injuries before the end of July, and Phillips emerged as an unexpected hero in their absence.
The Bolton-born defender would play 17 top-flight games that year and win the club’s player of the month award for March as he helped Jurgen Klopp’s side salvage third place and Champions League qualification. Speaking in 2021, Klopp said only former Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski had improved as much under his tutelage, calling his development “absolutely insane” and hailing him as “one of the smartest players I ever worked with”.
Since then, Phillips has spent half a season on loan at Bournemouth, playing 17 games as they successfully secured promotion back to the Premier League, and more recently at Celtic, where he only appeared six times. At £64,000-per-week, he would be one of the highest earners at Elland Road if Leeds agreed to pay the entirety of his salary, but the hope will be that Liverpool agree to cover a significant portion of that figure.
Phillips has experience of playing for one of the best teams in the Championship, and he could be an asset in the top flight too if Leeds go up given his unexpected contribution at Liverpool. If the Reds are satisfied that he’ll play enough football in West Yorkshire up against Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon, then we could soon see him donning a white shirt.