Liverpool defender Nat Phillips has conceded his future at Anfield remains up in the air as transfer deadline day approaches.
The 25-year-old centre-back spent the second half of last season on loan at Bournemouth, with the ECHO reporting back in June the Reds were considering whether to sanction a second temporary switch on the south coast for Phillips instead of a permanent exit this summer.
An asking price of between £12millon and £15m had been placed on the Bolton-born star prior to this, though concrete interest failed to materialise from clubs being strongly linked with a move. Bournemouth were understood to be considering reigniting interest in Phillips, though manager Scott Parker has indicated the Cherries are not in a position whereby they can continue to strengthen their group.
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Seizing opportunities that come his way has become somewhat of a habit for the No.47, who rose to prominence during the 2020/21 injury-hit season and was recently handed a start in the Reds' 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, though it seems to be no secret that regular first-team football remains a primary focus of Phillips.
“It’s a prime example of how you’ve always got to be ready because you never know what’s round the corner," he said in response to his unexpected appearance against Palace.
"Ultimately I want to be playing games but you’ve got to take it week-by-week. You can never look too far into the future because you never know what might happen. But, of course, I love playing for Liverpool and it was nice to have the opportunity to do that against Crystal Palace at Anfield the other week."
Bournemouth appeared to be the most likely destination for Phillips if a departure was to occur, though Parker made clear after his side's 9-0 loss to Liverpool there are 'millions of reasons why' his club cannot currently operate in the transfer market in the way they would have desired.
Were said issues to be resolved, it seems a possibility Phillips would be open to a return. Discussing his admiration for the side he helped earn promotion back to the Premier League, he told the Liverpool matchday programme: "I had a really good time down there and it was good working with Scott Parker. He is a good manager to work for. He is very well-planned and meticulous in the way he approaches games. He was always analysing the fine details and knew what he wanted from you as a player and as a team.
"Personally, the experience was great. It was nice to be playing regularly and experiencing a promotion as well was something special."
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