Jurgen Klopp might have hinted that Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips may yet leave Liverpool.
The pair were very big players for the Reds last season – especially Phillips – during what was a very testing time.
Klopp had Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk ruled out for the season in October and Joel Matip joined them as long-term absentees in January.
The German manager was forced to play midfielder Fabinho in central defence for a lot of the campaign, alongside Williams or Phillips until reinforcements in the form of Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies – the latter of whom never played a single minute – arrived in the winter.
But with the three main men back now, along with the £36 million addition of Ibrahima Konate, it’s looking very grim for Williams and Phillips.
Klopp told The Echo on Saturday that all six of his centre-backs would play this season, but quickly stipulated that the main four – Van Dijk, Matip, Gomez and Konate – would ‘definitely’ be used in what could be considered an admission that he doesn’t expect to call on the two English lads very often.
He said: “Because of the things that happened during the last year, we needed desperately the fourth centre-back. Now we have six with Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips. They will all play, the first four will definitely play and we have to mix it up and we will do that.”
It’ll be much easier for Liverpool to offload Phillips.
He did well enough in the Premier League last season to ensure he could easily get plucked by another top-flight club in the final 10 days of the window, with Southampton and Newcastle United among those reportedly interested.
As for Williams, well although he too did well on a number of occasions, he might struggle to stay in the Premier League and although Leeds have been linked, there’s virtually no chance of him winding up at Elland Road.
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