Sheffield United still want to sign a defender this winter and according to the Daily Mail, have been keeping tabs on both Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams of Liverpool.
The Blades are short on cover at the back and are currently playing with John Egan, Chris Basham, and Jack Robinson has a back three. Kyron Gordon has been providing cover on the bench, with fellow Liverpool loanee, Ben Davies, struggling for fitness recently.
And according to the Mail, United are monitoring goings on at Liverpool once again. The Blades are set to announce the £250,000 signing of Adam Davies this week. But Paul Heckingbottom wants more players added, with defence seen as a key position to bolster for the Blades boss.
Moves for the Liverpool duo Phillips and Williams have differing chances of success, however. West Ham are thought to be keen on Phillips, with a £15m move being mooted. A move for the Bolton-born star would appear unlikely, then.
However, young defender Williams is a viable option. The talented Liverpool starlet has been recalled from a spell with Swansea due to a lack of game time. But he is unlikely to play at Anfield either, meaning the Reds are likely to be assessing his next move.
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Our View: Williams More Likely Than Phillips
It seems odd that United are suddenly chucked into the mix when it comes to Nat Phillips. He is wanted by Premier League teams, and won’t want to drop into the Championship from a top four club. In a nutshell, we think that one can be counted out.
Williams is an interesting one, however. He has Premier League experience already and while it hasn’t worked out at Swansea, a spell at The Lane might be useful. Indeed, it was only last year that Jurgen Klopp had sung the praises of both Phillips and Williams as a pairing against Manchester United.
“The concentration level [Phillips and Williams] showed [on Thursday] night again is immense, absolutely insane what they did there. Against this front four of United it’s not easy. Rhys is a natural talker on the pitch, which helps as well. So I liked how we organised the last line, that was really good,” Klopp said at the time.
In terms of a smart January addition, Williams could be the one for United. Of course, we need to see how it pans out.
But at this moment in time, a move for Rhys Williams is surely more likely than Nat Phillips.
