Journalist: Liverpool have rejected opening offer for £65k-p/w powerhouse | OneFootball

Liverpool have reportedly rejected an opening offer for one player who’s widely expected to leave Anfield this summer.

As highlighted by Fabrizio Romano, Trabzonspor have taken an interest in Nat Phillips, and Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu claimed that the Super Lig club have already put in a bid for the defender.

However, in a fresh update on Sunday morning, the reporter posted on X (translated): “The first offer made by Trabzonspor was rejected. Liverpool wanted 5 million euros for Nathaniel Phillips.”

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Despite Phillips finding himself on the periphery at Liverpool over the past couple of years, the Reds were absolutely right to give short shrift to Trabzonspor’s first offer if it fell short of what isn’t exactly a steep valuation of €5m (£4.25m).

Even with the 27-year-old into the final year of his £65,000-per-week contract at Anfield, that figure seems derisory for a player who proved his worth when stepping up during the defensive injury crisis which plagued our 2020/21 season.

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In a market where new Chelsea signing Omari Kellyman can command £19m after six first-team appearances at Aston Villa, the Reds should easily be able to demand an eight-figure sum for a defender with Champions League experience.

It still seems very likely that Phillips will be sold this summer, particularly with his current deal having less than 12 months to run, but Liverpool chiefs are right not to let other clubs pull their pants down with lowball offers for senior players.

Richard Hughes is a lot smarter than to let Trabzonspor sign the ‘monster‘ – as Jurgen Klopp once called the 27-year-old – for less than £4.25m.

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