After a difficult loan spell at Celtic where he only managed to play just over 300 minutes of league action, Liverpool is considering retaining Nat Phillips for the second half of the season. Although the prospect of another loan stint has been raised, the Reds are weighing up whether to keep hold of Phillips instead. With the loss of Joel Matip for the rest of the campaign due to a serious knee injury, Jurgen Klopp’s options at centre-half have been thinned. While youngster Jarell Quansah has stepped up impressively, Liverpool has reasons to be cautious about the depth at the heart of their defence, including Ibrahima Konate’s proneness to muscle injuries and Joe Gomez serving as backup at both right-back and left-back. Phillips could be in contention to play a part in Sunday’s FA Cup trip to Arsenal, and if he does, he will be unable to go on another loan due to FIFA rules forbidding players from representing three clubs in a single season. As a result, Fabio Carvalho and Rhys Williams are not expected to be involved this weekend, and alternative loan clubs are now being sought for them.
Liverpool consider surprise Nat Phillips transfer decision after loan ends
