Ipswich Town have joined the race to sign Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips after his impressive loan spell at Cardiff City in the second half of last season.
The 27-year-old joined the Reds in 2019, but he has understandably failed to establish himself as a regular at Anfield, although Phillips did become a cult hero after stepping up during an injury crisis in the 2020/21 campaign.
However, the bulk of his football has come out on loan, which included that spell in Cardiff, which was sorted in January.
Cardiff City face competition to sign Nat Phillips
After excelling with his aerial ability and his no-nonsense style, it’s no surprise that Erol Bulut has been keen to bring Phillips back to the Welsh capital.
But, his performances last season have attracted attention, with the Daily Mail revealing that there is a lot of competition for his signature.
They claim that whilst Cardiff are seeking another deal, newly-promoted Ipswich could be ready to offer him an opportunity in the Premier League.
Furthermore, they state that there’s interest from Mainz in the Bundesliga, along with other clubs in Germany and in the second tier here.
It remains to be seen whether any formal offers will arrive, but Phillips could be given the chance to play in a top division, which will no doubt be an aim for the player as he approaches his peak years.
Liverpool to demand £8m for Nat Phillips
Another potential problem for Cardiff is that the report states that Liverpool are looking for a fee in the region of £8m for Phillips.
Of course, that wouldn’t be much for Ipswich following their promotion to the top-flight, but it would be a substantial sum for the Bluebirds. It’s unclear whether Cardiff would be in a position to agree to such a deal, but it would seem highly unlikely given their recent history.
Therefore, their best chance may be to wait until the end of the window in the hope that Liverpool lower their demands, or that they could come to an agreement on another loan.
Cardiff City summer transfer plans
After Bulot’s future was sorted earlier this month, attention quickly turned to the transfer market, as the boss has made it clear that he wants to oversee major changes at the club.
He is hoping to build a team that is capable of challenging for the play-off places, and there will be hope that more funds are available than there have been in previous windows.
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So, it will be interesting to see what sort of business Cardiff can get done, and there will be a few priorities for Bulut, notably that they need to improve their attack, as scoring goals was a major problem last season, and it’s something that must be addressed.
Fans should be encouraged by the links to Phillips, as that is the calibre of player they should be trying to bring in.
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