Arne Slot haunts Leeds United as Feyenoord enter race to sign £10m Liverpool defender Nat Phillips – David Ornstein
Arne Slot and Feyenoord have entered the race to sign Liverpool defender and Leeds United transfer target Nat Phillips, according to The Athletic.
The Whites were linked with a move for the central defender last month as the club look to prepare for life in the Championship, with several top stars expected to leave Elland Road this summer.
But according to David Ornstein (4 July) Eredivisie champions Feyenoord and former managerial target Arne Slot have made their interest known in Phillips, giving Leeds a decision to make on whether to pursue a deal that would be worth around £10m.
“Liverpool defender Nat Phillips is attracting interest from Feyenoord as he looks to secure a permanent move this summer,” they wrote.
“The Dutch champions are admirers of the combative centre-back, who is valued by the Anfield club at around £10million.”
Ouch
That’s a big blow to the potential plans of Daniel Farke and Leeds, because it’s going to be near impossible for them to be able to compete with Feyenoord in the transfer market.
Financially Leeds can definitely afford £10m and whatever his wages will be, because there will be plenty of exits this summer and the 49ers will want them to get back to the Premier League as quickly as possible.
However the Dutch champions will be able to offer him European football on top of that, most notably in the Champions League, and that is something Leeds won’t be able to do for a long time.
It’s possible that Phillips opts for the guaranteed first-team football at Elland Road this season, but it could be an opportunity he doesn’t get again to go abroad.
Leeds will clearly have to move quickly to get a deal done, and with the season starting in just a few weeks with no transfer deals done yet there is now even more need for urgency.
In other Leeds news, a first-team attacker is set to leave on loan with an option to make the deal permanent.