Benfica wanted Liverpool’s Nat Phillips but the Reds rejected a late offer in order to keep the defender at least until January.
It looked like the writing was on the wall for Phillips in January when he was sent on loan to the Championship with Bournemouth.
A first-team player a year earlier – admittedly due to an injury crisis – Phillips had struggled for playing time and headed to the South Coast.
Phillips helped Bournemouth win promotion to the Premier League but the Cherries didn’t sign him permanently, instead paying up for Marcos Senesi from Feyenoord.
With Liverpool enduring another defensive crisis in August, Phillips has been kept at Anfield – but there wasn’t a lack of interest.
Benfica wanted Liverpool’s Nat Phillips
The Athletic now claim that Benfica made a late offer to take Phillips on loan for the season.
New Benfica boss Roger Schmidt is understood to be a big fan of Phillips having watched him in action for Stuttgart during a loan spell.
Benfica made their attempt for Phillips, offering a deal that ‘attractive financially’ to Liverpool.
Relations between Benfica and Liverpool are in a strong place after the Reds negotiated a huge deal to sign Darwin Nunez this summer.
However, Jurgen Klopp decided to keep hold of Phillips until January at the earliest, a decision the defender took well.
Joel Matip and Joe Gomez are still injury-prone and with Ibrahima Konate out injured, Liverpool just couldn’t afford to let Phillips leave.
Southampton were given a similar response when they made a deadline-day move for Phillips, with Liverpool standing firm.
Phillips, 25, may never become a first-choice star at Liverpool but he has proven himself worth of being defensive cover at Anfield.
Phillips isn’t flashy but he will put his head in where it hurts and isn’t going to kick up a fuss if he isn’t in the team.
Those types of characters are very valuable and it’s clear that Klopp values him highly, hence the decision to block him from making the exciting move to Portugal.
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