Liverpool slap £15m price tag on Nathaniel Phillips

Liverpool will ask bidding teams to stump up £15million for defender Nat Phillips this summer, should he ask to leave.

Jurgen Klopp is keen to keep the 24-year-old on board following a successful 2020-21 campaign in which he was thrust into the limelight due to injury crisis.

But the Reds understand that interest in the centre back is now high given the composure he showed at Premier League level, and have already been contacted by Burnley about his availability.

Brighton have also expressed an interest in the player, who has acknowledged he needs consistent game time going forward in order to build upon his successful start to life in the top flight.

Last summer Phillips was on the verge of a move to the Championship with Swansea City, only for talks to break down at the eleventh hour.

Remaining on Merseyside, Phillips quickly went from fifth choice centre back to a starting name after season-ending injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.

The Bolton-born star ended the season partnering loan arrival Ozan Kabak, before finishing the run-in alongside fellow academy graduate Rhys Williams as Liverpool went unbeaten in the last 10 games of the campaign to achieve a third-placed finish.

Graham Potter’s Brighton have a strong interest in signing Phillips, though have not made an official bid.

Full-back Neco Williams can also leave Anfield for £10m this summer, and is expected to request a transfer when he returns from Euro 2020 with Wales.

Aston Villa, Leeds and Southampton have each been linked with the 20-year-old.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have informed Egypt they are reluctant to release Mo Salah for the Tokyo Olympics.

Liverpool’s season starts on August 14 away at Newcastle, and Salah would face a struggle to be ready for the opener should Egypt go far in Japan – with the competition set to run from July 22 to August 7.

Egypt FA President Ahmed Megahed had admitted it would be ‘difficult’ to get Liverpool’s blessing.

‘I do not want to say that it is impossible for Salah to participate in the Olympics, but it is difficult,’ he told ONTimeSport. ‘Salah agreed to lead the Olympic team during the last camp of the Egyptian team.

‘We contacted Liverpool to allow Salah to join the Olympic team, and they said they were waiting for the approval of the technical staff, but in the end, Liverpool refused the request because they do not want to lose the player at the beginning of the season, as well as next January with the Africa Cup of Nations, which will keep him from participating in the English Premier League matches.’