Liverpool may have Cardiff City to thank for Leeds United payday: View | OneFootball

It remains to be seen what division the Whites will be playing in next season, but that doesn't matter as it's said they will target the centre-back regardless of whether they win promotion to the Premier League or not.

The central defender has just one year left on his contract at Anfield, and Liverpool will be looking to cash in on him in the summer to avoid losing him for nothing the following summer.

You can't imagine Liverpool commanding a huge fee given his lack of first-team football at Anfield, but if Leeds were to buy Phillips it would be a nice little financial boost for the Reds.

Liverpool have Cardiff City to thank for any Nat Phillips transfer fee

The Liverpool man spent the first-half of the season on loan at Celtic, and wasn't overly successful with the Scottish giants.

He played just eight times in total for the Bhoys, starting just three times, and it was clear that the move wasn't working out.

Phillips will be the first to admit that he wasn't at his best at Parkhead, and with this, Liverpool put him out of his misery and re-called him from his loan spell in January.

It was clear that Phillips wasn't going to play for Liverpool during the second-half of the season, so the Reds loaned him out and Cardiff City managed to get a deal over the line for the 27-year-old.

The Bluebirds weren't alone in their interest, with Leeds also said to be keen to sign the Liverpool man, but Erol Bulut secured the defender's signature, and he's thrived in south Wales.

Phillips has been part of a Cardiff side who have developed a reputation for being tough to break down and strong at the back, and he's been a regular starter at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Since joining the Bluebirds, Phillips has started all 17 games for the club, and he's starting to show some of the form he displayed at Anfield in previous seasons.

This form means that Leeds are interested in signing him this summer, and it's doubtful that Liverpool would have had many suitors after Phillips' disappointing spell at Celtic.

His spell at Cardiff has put him back in the shop window, and Liverpool could be set to make money off his sale this summer.

Leeds United may not be alone in their interest in Nat Phillips this summer

Given his form for the Bluebirds, it's likely that a number of Championship clubs, and perhaps clubs from abroad will hold an interest in trying to sign Phillips next season, whether that be on loan or on a permanent basis.

He has just one-year left on his deal at Anfield, and you'd have thought that a permanent deal would suit Liverpool more than a loan deal, with the club attempting to cash in on Phillips when they can.

Daniel Farke seems really keen to bring Phillips to Elland Road, and a move to a club of Leeds' stature may suit the player permanently.

The 27-year-old is no longer a youngster, and he can't keep spending each season being loaned out to different clubs, and he needs a permanent move for the benefit of his career.

Incredibly, despite being just 27, Phillips has never played more than 29 games for a club, and that's a clear indication he needs to find a permanent home this summer, wherever that may be.

With a run of games under his belt, the centre-back has thrived at Cardiff, and he may just have done himself to earn a permanent move to Leeds in the summer.