Liverpool are weighing up whether to allow Nat Phillips to rejoin Bournemouth on loan next season - despite initial plans to cash in on the defender this summer.
The Reds have placed a £15million price tag on the 25-year-old, who played a key role in Jurgen Klopp's side securing Champions League football during the 2020/21 season.
Phillips' stock has since risen during a loan spell at Bournemouth last campaign, which saw the ex-Bolton Wanderers central defender feature 17 times as the Cherries secured automatic promotion from the second tier.
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While initially expected to seal a permanent exit in search of regular playing time during the current transfer window, the ECHO understands Liverpool are now mulling over a different plan for Phillips as they look to the future. Club sources have indicated the Reds are weighing up whether a full departure this summer may be hasty - and if they could have a potential long-term replacement option for Joel Matip on their hands as the squad reshapes in the years to come.
Whether Phillips, who has enjoyed regular football the last four months, would want to take on such a challenge is another consideration. Matip enjoyed his best-ever season in a Liverpool shirt last campaign, avoiding injury issues which have often hampered his progress at the club, and made a total of 31 Premier League appearances as Klopp's side narrowly missed out on the title. The 30-year-old currently has two years remaining on his current deal.
Phillips, meanwhile, is tied down at Anfield until the summer of 2025 having put pen to paper on a new contract last year. If Liverpool decide to send the defender out on loan next term, Bournemouth will almost certainly be his destination once again.
Liverpool negotiated a £1.5million loan fee for Phillips to join Scott Parker's side in January and secured a further £250,000 courtesy of a promotion clause included as part of the agreement. The Reds would look to put in place a similar financial arrangement this summer, should it be decided that heading to the South Coast on a temporary switch represents the best option for all parties.
Phillips is understood to be enjoying life at Bournemouth - and that has been reflected in the levels his form has reached and how well the team have done since he arrived. The next step will be proving himself as a regular in the top flight, which would further increase his value.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the ECHO recently, Phillips said: "My main aspiration is to be playing regular football at the highest level possible. That’s always been the case, that’s never changed. I’d like to think that would be the Premier League after my time last season with Liverpool and now with Bournemouth getting promoted."
