Liverpool has confirmed that 28-year-old center-back Nat Phillips has joined Championship side West Bromwich Albion on a permanent basis as a big summer of transfers continues to take shape.
Phillips spent last season on loan at Derby County. He will join up with West Brom in time for the first day of pre-season training, which is on Wednesday, under new head coach Ryan Mason.
Other teams including Wrexham were linked with a move for Phillips. In the last few years, he has been out on loan at the German side Stuttgart, and in various places in the UK including Bournemouth, Celtic and Cardiff City.
Phillips has made 29 appearances for Liverpool at senior level in total. His debut came under Jurgen Klopp in the 2019/20 season before he appeared 20 times in the following campaign as he formed a partnership with Rhys Williams.
Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip were all sidelined, with Klopp turning to his academy after experimenting with the likes of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Ozan Kabak at the back.
Liverpool finished third against the odds, which earned Phillips cult status among supporters. And without his contribution, the Reds would not have been able to reach the Champions League final against Real Madrid in Paris in 2022.
Jurgen Klopp and Nat Phillips.
Jurgen Klopp and Nat Phillips. (Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
It has long been the case that Phillips has needed a permanent move elsewhere. There has been interest in a permanent deal in the past but Liverpool's asking price was never met.
With only a year left on his contract at Anfield, Phillips has now secured his next club. West Brom finished ninth in the Championship table last season, just four points off the play-off spots.
Phillips, meanwhile, came 19th, just above the relegation zone, with Derby County. The Midlands side avoided going down to League One by just a point with Phillips' late winner against Hull City — another relegation contender — proving decisive.
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"Everyone at Liverpool FC would like to thank Nat for his efforts and wish him the very best for the future," a post on social media from official club channels reads.
The fee, according to The Times, could reach $4.06 million (£3.00 million) including add-ons.
Liverpool.com says: Phillips is a cult hero at Anfield but it was clear that he wasn't going to play for the club again. A move to West Brom looks like a very good one.
He should play every week and might even be able to get back into the Premier League with the Birmingham outfit. Everyone at Liverpool will no doubt wish Phillips well.