Clean-up begins after Brighton ridicule, this player leaves before deadline day

If the poor results in the Premier League were already reason enough for Jurgen Klopp and his coaching staff to seriously consider which players should stay on for a while longer, the catastrophic FA Cup exit at the hands of Brighton helped decide the near future of many of them, with talk that this time around the German manager will have no fear of axing even those players who are emblematic of the club.

Just as the players who started the FA Cup fourth round are on the back foot regarding their continuity for the 2023-2024 season, those who are not even considered by the German tactician are at greater risk of leaving before the end of the winter transfer window, with England defender Nathaniel Phillips certain to have his days numbered at Anfield.

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After Klopp's frequent use of Joe Gomez and Kostas Tsimikas as that second option, the man sacrificed from the equation throughout is Nat Phillips, who according to The Athletic has already been linked with one of the top teams in the Turkish league.

<strong>Phillips first of many to leave Anfield this year</strong>

While the Reds and Galatasaray are in talks over the best way to make the 25-year-old's transfer official, Klopp and his men will have to continue the task of selecting players to leave Anfield over the summer as the weeks go by, with talk of a purge in midfield where Fabinho Tavares looks set to be the next to go.