Breaking: West Brom closing in on major first summer signing in blow to Norwich City

West Bromwich Albion are closing in on central defender Nat Phillips from Liverpool in what could be the first signing of the Ryan Mason era.

The Telegraph reports West Brom are very close to acquiring Phillips’ services on a permanent deal. New head coach Mason is said to have pushed for the transfer and is close to securing his man for an undisclosed fee, likely to be a bargain price as Phillips only has 12 months left on his Liverpool contract.

The central defender has attracted strong interest from Albion and a host of other Championship clubs over recent weeks. Derby County, who appreciated Phillips’ input in helping them avoid relegation to League One last campaign, were among those keen. Norwich City, recently taken over by new head coach Liam Manning, were reportedly another.

How could Nat Phillips fit in at West Brom?

Albion were in desperate need of a new centre-half or several and Phillips’ arrival will help a great deal. The 28-year-old, a Carabao Cup winner with Liverpool in 2022, has spent the past few seasons on loan away from Anfield, with moves to AFC Bournemouth, Celtic, Cardiff City and Derby helping to keep him ticking along nicely.

It’s been several years since Phillips was a regular starter at Liverpool but he did play a decent role in the 2020/21 campaign as he made 17 Premier League appearances. Last season was the most productive of his career as he racked up 2,232 Championship minutes for Derby and was instrumental in their survival from relegation.

Phillips is likely to be a starter right away at The Hawthorns, though veteran defender Kyle Bartley will probably rotate with him. Torbjorn Heggem is one of the first names on the team sheet in the other centre-back position, though Mason could decide to pair Bartley and Phillips by moving Heggem to left-back instead.

West Brom eyeing more transfers

Phillips certainly won’t be the only player West Brom are targeting for a summer transfer as Mason will be keen to oversee a squad overhaul to help propel the club back into play-off contention. Although head coaches at The Hawthorns rarely have a direct say in transfers, Mason’s arrival does allow the focus to shift onto player recruitment rather than the search for a manager.

West Brom are eager to bolster several key positions as soon-to-be free agents Ajayi, Grady Diangana and John Swift will need to be replaced, whereas academy product Tom Fellows could secure a move to the Premier League. That would mean signing players in at least the left wing, attacking midfield, right wing and centre-back spots – and that’s without considering other areas that clearly needed strengthening during the season just gone.

Albion may also consider signing a new goalkeeper following Alex Palmer’s January exit, another left-back is desired, further depth is a necessity at centre-back and more bite is needed in midfield. Effectively, the West Brom lineup could look very, very different indeed heading into next season – and that’s no doubt what fans will want considering how badly 2024/25 turned out.