Nat Phillips is into the final year of his contract and has been attracting plenty of interest in his services, which now includes a club from Turkey.
The centre-back spent the second half of last season on loan at Cardiff, one of the clubs known to be interested in his signature alongside Ipswich and Mainz.
Liverpool value the 27-year-old at £8 million, a figure that may be prohibitive to some suitors but sporting director Richard Hughes will be eager to drive a hard bargain.
The Mail recently noted other “second-tier sides,” not named above, were also in the picture, and now claims have emerged over Turkish side Trabzonspor.
According to Fabrizio Romano, on his Playback channel, “Phillips to Trabzonspor is a concrete possibility” as “Trabzonspor are in negotiations for Phillips [and] waiting for the player to decide.”
Turkish reporter Yagiz Sabuncuoglu corroborated the claims on X, he first reported an “official offer” from Trabzonspor on Friday, which was subsequently “rejected” with Liverpool said to want €5 million (£4.2m).
That figure is half of the valuation initially reported, and while the Reds will have room for negotiation, it would be a surprise if they let Phillips go for half the price.
Phillips will be heavily involved in the discussions over his future, and earlier this year, he noted his desire to play regular football as he talked up a potential permanent switch to Cardiff.
“I’d certainly consider [a return to Cardiff]. I’ve enjoyed my time here, I’ve enjoyed playing regularly. I want to continue playing regular football and enjoying my football,” he said.
“Any time you move clubs, a lot is up in the air. I’ve done it a few times with loans, so I would say I’m more accustomed to it than some people are.”
Trabzonspor finished third in the Super Lig last season and are firmly in the market for a centre-back this summer, Hungary’s Attila Szalai has also been linked to the Turkish side.
