Southampton have been linked with a move for Nathaniel Phillips recently and the Liverpool ace could be the ideal man to replace Jannik Vestergaard in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, should the Denmark international complete a move away from St Mary’s this summer.

What’s the word?

According to James Pearce of The Athletic, Liverpool are willing to sell Phillips for between £12-15m this summer, and Southampton, Burnley, Brighton and Newcastle United have all been in contact with the Merseyside outfit about a potential deal for the centre-back.

Considering Vestergaard has reportedly expressed his desire for a new challenge amid interest from Leicester City, it seems likely that the Saints will cash in on the Danish defender this summer, rather than potentially losing him for nothing at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

Therefore, a new centre-back signing will likely be necessary to replace the former Borussia Monchengladbach man this summer, and Phillips could be an excellent addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad.

Would Phillips be a good signing for Southampton?

Despite being on the brink of a Liverpool exit in the summer of 2020, Phillips established himself as an important player in Jurgen Klopp’s side last season as they turned their campaign around to secure Champions League football.

The Anfield outfit were left without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip for much of the season, which paved the way for Phillips to become a regular starter, and he made 17 Premier League appearances in total, averaging a very impressive 7.29 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

However, with Liverpool’s centre-back trio now back fit ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and Ibrahima Konate having also joined from RB Leipzig, it seems unlikely that the 24-year-old will feature as much for the Reds next season, so an exit could well be on the cards.

After he made his Premier League debut in a 2-1 win against West Ham, Klopp labelled Phillips a “monster” due to his impressive aerial ability.

Last season saw the defender average a superb 5.6 aerials won per game, which suggests that he would be a more than adequate replacement for Vestergaard, who despite his height, managed just 3.3 aerials won per game in the Premier League last season.

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Therefore, Hasenhuttl should definitely look towards the £7.2m-rated Liverpool man this summer if Vestergaard does complete a move away from St Mary’s.

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