da wazamba： Liverpool's struggles in midfield are no secret, after they failed in their pursuit of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, before both ended up signing for Chelsea, forcing the Reds to settle for Wataru Endo.
da apostaganha： Jurgen Klopp could yet add another option in the middle of the park, with plenty of names mentioned in the final days of the summer transfer window, including Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips.
What's the latest on Kalvin Phillips to Liverpool?
Alongside the likes of Ryan Gravenberch, Sofyan Amrabat, and Andre, Phillips has emerged as a potential option for Liverpool this summer, as confirmed on Sky Sports by Michael Bridge.
Bridge said: "Like Manchester United, they like Sofyan Amrabat, Fluminese's Andre has been mentioned, Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich has been mentioned, he's been considered. Kalvin Phillips is another player mentioned, although we're not sure if Manchester City would sell to a rival, not necessarily a title rival, but that's become a little bit of a rivalry over the years, hasn't it? Manchester City and Liverpool.
"So, yes, they do want another midfielder, certainly one to watch."
Failing to hide his surprise at Phillips' name being mentioned regarding Liverpool's pursuit of a midfielder, Sky Sports presenter Mike Wedderburn said: "Wow, nine days to go, and Kalvin Phillips being linked with Liverpool. Interesting."
Should Liverpool sign Kalvin Phillips?
There's no doubt that Phillips could do with a move away from Manchester City, given that he featured just 21 times last season and is yet to feature at all so far in the current campaign. But, whether the Premier League champions would be willing to sell their midfielder to Liverpool for a suitable fee remains to be seen.
From the Reds' perspective, too, they've just welcomed 30-year-old Wataru Endo, so they may be unwilling to welcome Phillips, who is 27 and coming into the season on the back of missing 18 games through injury in the previous campaign.
At his best, the England international could prove to be a solid option for many sides, and has earned praise reflecting that, including from Fabio Capello, who called him the "best modern midfielder I've seen".
He continued, via The Daily Mail: "Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice are two phenomenal players, very different from Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, who I coached: they are very functional in this England, they are two great midfielders who fight on every action.
"If England never concede a goal, they owe it to these two extraordinary guys, who even run into the locker room after every game! They are the secret of this great England. If the defense is iron, it is thanks to them because they protect their comrades."
Statistically speaking, too, when Phillips was at his best and earning plenty of game-time at Leeds, he outperformed the options that were at Klopp's disposal last season.
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According to FBref, in the 2021/22 campaign, the 27-year-old made more interceptions, clearances, blocks, and won more tackles per 90 than the amount that Jordan Henderson managed to complete last season at Liverpool.
Whilst there are some positives, though, it remains to be seen whether the Reds will push on and pursue Phillips' signature before the window comes to a close.