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Liverpool reject £7m bid for West Ham target Nathaniel Phillips - report
An unnamed club have had a £7m bid rejected by Liverpool for West Ham target Nathaniel Phillips, according to The Athletic.
West Ham are keen to bring a defender to the London Stadium this month after injuries to all of Angelo Ogbonna, Kurt Zouma and Aaron Cresswell left them short of numbers.
One of the top targets linked with the club was Liverpool centre-back Nathaniel Phillips [Standard], who is reportedly available to leave the club if someone matches their £15m asking price.
It has now been reported by The Athletic that Liverpool have already rejected a £7m bid from an unnamed top-flight club this month and that they are willing to bide their team with sufficient interest in the player.
Phillips has yet to feature in the Premier League this season, but started in the Champions League win over AC Milan and has previously been described by Jurgen Klopp as a ‘monster’.
Eyes peeled
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If news of a bid being rejected is true, it provides an insight into where West Ham stand in their pursuit of the 24-year-old.
If it was them who made the bid, then it’s clear that their interest is very serious and they will surely return with another bid after starting so low.
If it wasn’t though, then it points to the fact Phillips is a priority signing for another club and that the Hammers will face stiff competition for his signature.
With Phillips signing a new contract in the summer, he currently has four years left on his deal and that leaves little room for negotiation for anyone who wants to take him away from Anfield.
The player is said to be open to a move for more regular game time, so it’s simply a case of meeting the asking price or making an offer that pleases Livrepool enough to let him go.
In other West Ham news, West Ham in pursuit of ‘Unbelievable’ British forward valued £14m – report