Liverpool give Leeds green light to sign top Daniel Farke target, but Whites must agree to one crucial demand

Liverpool have reportedly told Leeds United they are free to sign a player Daniel Farke is desperate to bring in, but only if the West Yorkshire club agree to change their offer.

Farke was announced as Leeds’ new manager last week, with the German penning a four-year contract at Elland Road. Farke is tasked with getting Leeds back into the Premier League, having achieved promotion twice during his spell at Norwich City.

Not long after Farke’s arrival, The Athletic’s Phil Hay named 10 players Leeds could now target. The list included Nottingham Forest striker Sam Surridge, Newcastle United goalkeeper Karl Darlow and Joel Piroe of Swansea City.

Liverpool defender Nat Phillips also featured on Leeds’ list of potential signings. Farke is a big fan of the Englishman, having previously tried to sign him while in charge of Norwich.

The Sun have provided an update on Leeds’ transfer hunt, and it makes for promising reading for Whites supporters. The report reveals Liverpool are willing to sell Phillips to Leeds this summer after deciding he is surplus to requirements on Merseyside.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp can already rely on Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez at centre-back, which means Phillips is very low in the pecking order. Liverpool could also sign centre-half Perr Schuurs from Torino, as per recent reports.

While Liverpool have effectively given Leeds the green light to capture Phillips, the two sides are not in agreement just yet. The Sun explain how Liverpool want to sell Phillips, whereas Leeds would rather engineer a season-long loan deal.

Clearly, Leeds will need to improve their offer and make it a permanent one if they are going to bring the 26-year-old to Elland Road this summer.

Liverpool man would benefit from permanent transfer

It would be great for Phillips if he could join Leeds permanently. He has had a turbulent time at Liverpool, picking up game time during an injury crisis in the 2020-21 season but then falling back down the pecking order when players returned to full fitness. He spent the second half of the 2021-22 campaign on loan at Bournemouth but ended up staying at Liverpool last term, only managing five appearances in all competitions.

Phillips is highly likely to perform better if he is allowed to settle in at a club like Leeds and benefit from playing there for more than just one year.

And while Phillips may struggle to deal with some elite strikers, he is certainly good enough to form part of a solid defence in the Championship.

Meanwhile, a senior Liverpool ace has spoken openly about new players arriving in his position, while also sending a warm message to Roberto Firmino.