The cost of Bournemouth loanee Nat Phillips has been revealed after Bournemouth made their return to the Premier League from the Championship.
With Scott Parker being appointed last summer, it was clear what the remit for the season was following Parker's promotion success with Fulham two seasons ago.
That ambition didn't waiver as they made a number of high-profile signings in January to ensure they got over the line.
It worked as promotion was secured despite a drop-off in form, with the new signings contributing hugely to the success.
One of those players was Nat Phillips who arrived on loan from Liverpool with a big reputation, with it being a surprise to see him drop down a level despite solid performance in the Premier League.
He was a huge influence and it's no surprise given his reported fee for his loan spell. The Liverpool Echo revealed that the Cherries paid an initial £1.5m to bring Phillips to the Vitality Stadium, with another £250k being paid once promotion was confirmed.
It's a big fee for a side in the Championship, especially with it being a half-season loan. However, Bournemouth have the financial muscle due to their turnover in squad and parachute payments from their time in the Premier League.
It shows that it was a good investment for the South-Coast club, with Phillips playing a huge role in their promotion.
The Verdict
It's a huge fee for a loan, but Bournemouth recouped that fee with Phillip's performances.
Phillips came with a big reputation having helped Liverpool secure Champions League football last season amid their defensive crisis, and he came into the Championship and put in some big performance.
Obviously, the promotion wasn't down to Phillips, but he showed that Bournemouth did need to strengthen in January as they looked much more solid in the final third of the season than they did in the middle third.