Nat Phillips ‘channels inner Trent Alexander-Arnold’ away from Liverpool
Nat Phillips is far from an ideal replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool, but he has certainly been making his best impression.
There has been a lot of talk around Alexander-Arnold in recent days after it emerged that he has agreed to join Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer.
It appears increasingly likely that Liverpool will be without their number 66 next season onwards, meaning they will have to find a replacement for him, whether that be from within their setup or in the transfer market.
Conor Bradley has been tipped to make the right-back spot at Anfield his own once Alexander-Arnold leaves, but his injury record is cause for concern already.
Phillips emulates Alexander-Arnold at Derby County
While there is always going to be question marks about Alexander-Arnold’s defending, there is no doubt about his playmaking ability.
Arne Slot will have a tough time replacing that aspect of the England international’s game next term.
Meanwhile, not too far from Anfield, Phillips has grabbed headlines by emulating Alexander-Arnold for Derby, where he is spending he season on loan.
| Games | Goals | Assists |
| 29 | 1 | 1 |
The centre-back provided not one, but two assists as the Rams earned a 2-0 victory over Preston North End to claw their way out of the relegation zone on Wednesday, 2 April.
It is worth noting that the 28-year-old also grabbed an assist in Derby’s 3-2 win against Plymouth before the international break, meaning he now has three assists in two games.
However, that is as far as it goes in terms of similarity with Alexander-Arnold, as all three of those assists came from Phillips being a menace in the box, as opposed to whipped crosses and penetrating through balls.
Phillips must leave Liverpool this summer
Phillips could emulate Alexander-Arnold again by leaving Liverpool for good this summer.
The centre-back has been on the Reds’ books since 2016, when he joined them from Bolton Wanderers.
However, he has only made 29 first-team appearances for the Anfield outfit, having spent most of his time there away on loan.
Phillips has one more year remaining on his contract with the Merseyside-based club, but will be hoping to leave the club permanently this time around.