Liverpool Midfielder Seals Permanent Departure as Florian Wirtz Signing Triggers Exodus
Liverpool's midfield player Tyler Morton has reportedly reached an agreement to move to French Ligue 1 club Lyon, though discussions have encountered obstacles.
Morton, who became part of Liverpool when he was seven years old, developed through the academy system at his childhood club with aspirations of eventually securing a regular spot in the first team. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old has found it difficult to secure consistent playing time, accumulating only 14 first-team appearances throughout his career.
A move appears to benefit both the player and the club, particularly following Morton's limited involvement in just five games last season under new manager Arne Slot.
Reports from L'Équipe indicate that Lyon have successfully established a "contractual agreement" with the midfielder. However, Liverpool are said to be requesting a €9 million (£7.8 million; $10.3 million) transfer fee that the French club considers "excessive".
It's unsurprising that the current English champions are seeking to profit from the young player following their expenditure of over €300 million (£256 million; $343 million) during the summer transfer window. Liverpool acquired several new players at Merseyside over the past two months, including Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.
The disagreement over valuation has delayed Morton's transfer discussions, enabling the England youth international to accompany Liverpool on their pre-season tour across Asia. The 22-year-old was selected for the Reds' encounter against AC Milan, but struggled to make an impact in the 4–2 loss.
However, this display didn't reflect Morton's true abilities. The midfielder excelled for the Three Lions during their victorious European Under-21 Championship run, providing the assist for England's decisive goal against Germany in the final.
Previous Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp had also commended Morton, describing him as a "brilliant" talent with an "outstanding football brain". However, there's insufficient opportunity for the English player to secure regular minutes in Liverpool colors due to the excellent partnership between Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch.
Liverpool chose not to part with Morton last summer despite attention from Bayer Leverkusen, but they now face another chance if Lyon talks can reach a resolution.