Liverpool transfers: Tyler Morton conundrum revealed as top clubs circle

You know that Curb Your Enthusiasm meme? The one with Larry David looking incredibly conflicted and unsure? That was my reaction to hearing the news earlier in the summer that a number of teams were interested in Tyler Morton. 

On one hand, I wanted to see how the 21-year-old midfielder might develop under Arne Slot. He did really well with the likes of Mats Wieffer, Orkun Kocku and Quinten Timber.

And I do find Morton quite intriguing as a profile. I wouldn’t have minded him as a squad option this season.

But then I remember that the Liverpool squad is kind of bloated and adding Morton to the ranks would complicate things a little further.

If Slot sticks with the staggered double pivot approach he used at Feyenoord, Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones, Wataru Endo, Stefan Bajcetic, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott are battling it out for two positions.

I’ve included some players in there who probably view themselves as attacking midfielders, but the point still stands.

There’s also talk that a more defensive-minded, dominant, destructive midfielder might be added to the ranks. In a nutshell, lots of bodies, but not many positions need to be filled.

Playing time would be limited for Morton unless he had an incredible pre-season or there was an injury crisis. Banking £20million or so for him, especially if there were add-ons included, would be smart business.

Thinking about it, £20million for a player with just two Premier League appearances feels like an old-school Michael Edwards masterclass. If he is sold, I would get it. It is the sort of deal you can’t really turn down if you don’t consider him to be a first-teamer next season.

You’re supposed to sell players when their stock is high. It is something Liverpool have failed to do properly over recent seasons. So, after making peace with such a sale, I then flip-flop back to being unsure having seen the list of clubs reportedly keen on the midfielder.

According to The Times, ‘virtually every club’ in the Championship are keen on Morton along with RB Leipzig, Sevilla, Eintracht Frankfurt, Feyenoord and a bunch of Premier League sides.

Could Liverpool be undervaluing Morton?

Now, ignore the Championship and Premier League links for now and focus on the named clubs. RB Leipzig have a proven track record of identifying and developing young talent. It doesn’t always work out (see Fabio Carvalho for details) but their hit rate is impressive.

If they want him, there must be a reason for it. Likewise, Sevilla are famed for their transfer business. Yes, it can look as though they have a scattergun approach but they regularly sign who they consider to be undervalued talents and it works for them.

Eintracht Frankfurt are another club who have a proven track record of helping players with potential develop while Feyenoord’s business over recent seasons has gone under the radar.

The point is, that all of these clubs have a similar profile in the sense they bring in what they deem to be undervalued talent.

Could Liverpool potentially be undervaluing Morton? I suppose the real question is does it really matter if we are given there’s probably no room for him in the squad?

The 5ft10 midfielder signed a new, long-term deal with Liverpool in January 2023. It puts the club in a strong position right now as it allows them to demand a decent fee for the youngster. This could be why it is pointless to get invested in the development of academy players because, more often than not, they’re reared to be sold on for profit.

Jury out on Morton ceiling

Only the truly exceptional ones end up being Liverpool players. And while Morton might be impressive, I’m not necessarily sure his ceiling is exceptional. Still, he’s a handy player.

Across his loan spells with Blackburn Rovers and Hull City, he racked up a combined 5,700 minutes. He’s mature for his age and these loans have helped him develop as a player. Last term, he averaged over 60 passes per 90, created 1.4 chances per 90 and finished with a pass success rate of 88%. He’s progressive yet safe.

Composed, confident and assured in possession. He’s a smart player with the ball and intelligent without it - his positioning is what caught my eye when I’ve gone back and watched his time with Hull. In an ideal world, you’d keep him around and give Slot the opportunity to develop him.

But I can see why the club might sell this summer. I can also see why he might want to leave having spent two seasons playing regularly.