Andros Townsend has suggested that Nat Phillips could leave Liverpool at the end of the season, despite his impressive showings this term.
Speaking to Stadium Astro, Townsend was asked about Phillips’s future at Liverpool, after his brilliant form in recent weeks.
The 23-year-old has stepped into the Reds’ first-team and helped them keep two clean-sheets in their last two outings.
However, Townsend admits that problems could emerge further down the line, as Phillips has a taste of first-team football now.
The powerful centre-back’s position at Liverpool is not certain next term, when Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez will return from injury.
And Townsend has suggested that he could see Phillips leaving Anfield for more regular first-team football at the end of the campaign, if he isn’t promised that he has a long-term future by Klopp.
“I think it’s a bit premature. At the moment he’s in the team and playing well, I’m sure he’ll get a run of games between now and the end of the season,” the £13 million Crystal Palace winger (Sky) said.
“But when it comes to next season and all the defenders are back, and he’s had a taste of Premier League football, he doesn’t want to go back to the under-23’s or warming the bench.
“When everyone is back he’ll be asking serious questions of Jurgen Klopp and when he does fit in his long-term strategy.
“If there is no long term strategy then he’ll look to move on. If he does then he will bide his time even more, get a loan move and gain more experience.”
If Phillips did leave Liverpool now it would be a disappointment, given the impact that he has made.
But there has to be doubts over the amount of minutes he will receive next term.
While Phillips has done brilliantly since stepping in, he isn’t quite as classy an operator as the likes of Van Dijk and Gomez.
And it is difficult to see him receiving regular game time, when Klopp has a fully fit squad to pick from.
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