Liverpool transfer news: 2020-21 hero 'undergoing medical' ahead of permanent Championship move

Liverpool outcast Nat Phillips is to leave the Reds on a permanent deal for West Bromwich Albion and is currently undergoing his Baggies medical, according to a report.

The 28-year-old has only been a peripheral figure at Anfield since his heroics in the 2020-21 season, where he played a critical role in the Reds' successful pursuit of Champions League football amid a defensive injury crisis.

With Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez sidelined, Phillips and fellow fringe centre-back Rhys Williams held the fort expertly, as the former played 17 times in that Premier League season and managed one goal and one assist.

However, Phillips has not played a competitive match for Liverpool since the 2022-23 campaign, enduring three separate loan spells with Celtic, Cardiff City and most recently Derby County over the past two years.

Phillips made a positive impression at Pride Park with one goal and three assists from 32 Championship appearances, and the centre-back is now set to remain in the second tier for the foreseeable future.

According to The Athletic, Phillips is on the verge of completing a permanent move to West Brom, who are managed by former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder and assistant manager Ryan Mason.

The 28-year-old apparently had several suitors in the Championship, but it is West Brom who have secured his services, and he leaves Liverpool nine years after signing from Bolton Wanderers.

Phillips - who was also loaned out to Stuttgart and Bournemouth during his time at Anfield - made 29 senior appearances for the Reds in all tournaments, winning two major honours in the shape of the 2019-20 Premier League title and 2021-22 EFL Cup crown.

Phillips departs Liverpool - who could be next out of Anfield?

While Phillips - who was about to enter the last year of his Liverpool deal - may not have achieved Van Dijk or Jamie Carragher levels of defensive fame at Anfield, his stellar contributions in 2020-21 will not be forgotten in a hurry.

The 28-year-old is expected to be one of two Liverpool centre-backs to leave the club in a matter of days, as Jarell Quansah's £30m switch to German giants Bayer Leverkusen is also nearing completion.

Phillips's 2020-21 centre-back partner Williams is also facing an uncertain future after his most recent loan spell at Morecambe, as are a few established first-teamers.

Milos Kerkez's £40m arrival from Bournemouth is reportedly expected to be announced on Tuesday, and the man who he will succeed - Andrew Robertson - is believed to be on Atletico Madrid's radar.

The likes of Wataru Endo, Tyler Morton, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott could also be offloaded if the price is right, allowing Arne Slot and Richard Hughes to fund further signings at the back and in attack.

Written by
Ben Knapton