Former Bolton youngster Nat Phillips is now “increasingly likely” to remain at Liverpool for the rest of the season.

The 25-year-old centre-back had been linked with a move away from Anfield before the end of the transfer window.

But he now looks set to stay put to provide cover following an injury to French international Ibrahima Konate, according to The Athletic.

Konate felt discomfort in his hamstring during the Reds’ 2-1 defeat against Brighton in the FA Cup over the weekend.

He is said to be facing two to three weeks out of action following a scan, meaning he will miss the upcoming Premier League games against Wolves and Everton. The defender is also a doubt for the fixtures against Newcastle and Real Madrid.

It is a blow for Jurgen Klopp, who is already without Dutch international Virgil van Dijk, who is expected to be back available by mid-February. His current defensive options also include Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.

Phillips reportedly has interest from Turkish side Galatasaray as well as a number of unnamed German clubs.

The Bolton-born defender joined Liverpool’s youth set-up in 2016 and broke into the first-team picture at Anfield several years later.

He also spent time on loan at Bournemouth last season as the Cherries won promotion back to the Premier League under Scott Parker.

Phillips’ featured in an FA Cup tie against Wolves earlier this month, coming off the bench for the final 25 minutes at Molineux.

He has made five first-team appearances in total since the start of the campaign, with two of those coming in the Premier League.

Klopp’s side currently find themselves ninth in the table following a difficult first half of the campaign. They are 10 points behind fourth-place Manchester United heading into the business stage of the season.

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