NAT PHILLIPS is reportedly attracting interest from Brighton with the Seagulls eyeing the Liverpool centre-back as a replacement for Ben White.
The Amex outfit are on the hunt for a new defender with White, 23, expected to join Arsenal in a £50million switch.
TalkSPORT claim Albion, who finished sixteenth last term, are plotting a for £15m swoop for the Anfield ace.
It has been reported Phillips, 24, who began his career at Bolton Wanderers, has been given the green light to leave Liverpool in search of more first-team football.
The player, who moved to the Reds from Bolton in 2016, made 17 Premier League appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side last season.
He impressed as a central defensive stand-in following an injury crisis that left Liverpool without Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez last season.
And the loss of Joel Matip to an ankle injury in February saw the player become a more regular feature in Klopp’s squad in the second half of last term.
But with Van Dijk, Gomez and Matip set to return and the addition of Ibrahim Konate to Liverpool’s ranks, it is thought starting opportunities for Phillips could be less frequent.
And the player, who is also reportedly a Burnley target, is eager to clock up more game time.
Phillips told Goal: “Every player wants to be playing games, and at the stage I’m at, I need to be playing games for my development
“I think if you look from my first game last season to my last, there was development and I felt a lot more confident and comfortable. I want to keep that progression.
“In terms of Liverpool, they obviously play a huge amount of games every year.
“Game-time is never guaranteed for anyone, but it would depend on whether there’s enough opportunity within those games for me, I guess.”
Phillips’ contract with Liverpool is set to expire in June 2023.
The defender spent the 2019-20 season on loan at Bundesliga outfit VfB Stuttgart
And the centre-back has made 21 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions since his 2016 move to Anfield from Bolton Wanderers.
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Should White make the move to Arsenal, it would see the Dorset-born Albion ace become the newest addition to Mikel Arteta’s side following the signing of Belgium midfielder Albert Sambi Lonkonga.
White, who was part of Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 England squad, impressed with his performances for Graham Potter’s side last season.
Along with Yves Bissouma the defender made the most top-flight appearances for Albion playing in 36 Premier League clashes for the club.
And the centre-back, whose contract with the Seagulls expires in June 2024, was voted Brighton’s Player of the Year by the team’s fans last term.
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