Cardiff City join Blackburn Rovers in late chase for Liverpool agreement | OneFootball

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Cardiff City are looking to rival Blackburn Rovers for Liverpool defender Nat Phillips.

Blackburn Rovers in Nat Phillips hunt

Rover are looking to land a central defender before the end of the January window and were reportedly "hopeful" of securing the 26-year-old's services before Thursday's deadline.

According to The Daily Mail, confidence was growing over a deal being struck, with The Sun's Alan Nixon also suggesting (via his Patreon), that an agreement was close after the centre-back's Celtic loan spell was cut short.

However, it appears Rovers will now face competition from Championship rivals Cardiff City, with the Bluebirds making a late push for Phillips.

Cardiff City look to hijack Phillips deal

Erol Bulut's Cardiff City currently sit 14th in the Championship, only six points adrift of Coventry City, who occupy the final play-off berth.

Bulut has cut a frustrated figure in recent weeks and has threatened to quit due to the lack of transfer activity.

Speaking with BBC Sport Wales, he said: "I have to maybe make a decision for myself on how my future will go with the club because I came here to change some things in a positive way. I don't know (if will continue until the end of the season), I don't know."

However, it appears the board in South Wales are looking to back the 48-year-old.

The Sun's Nixon has since claimed (via his Patreon) that Cardiff are making a "strong" move to beat Blackburn to the signing of Phillips.

It's believed the Bluebirds hope to offer the 26-year-old better terms to secure his signature on loan despite Rovers hoping to secure a deal over the weekend.

Phillips alone can't transform Cardiff

Phillips' career has been a stop-start affair.

The 26-year-old has had three loan spells away from Anfield with VfB Stuttgart, Bournemouth and Celtic.

However, he has failed to make his mark at any of his previous clubs. Eight appearances during the first half of the season at Parkhead are fairly uninspiring and could be cause for concern.

Bulut needs signings, and Cardiff fans will hope this addition isn't purely to appease their disgruntled manager.

Realistically, the Bluebirds' play-off hopes are slim and the signing of Phillips doesn't feel like a significant piece of business. He will firm up Bulut's defence but, beyond that, it's hard to envisage the Bluebirds putting together an impressive run of form to bridge the gap between now and the end of the 2023/24 season.