Tyler Morton left Liverpool for Lyon in the summer transfer window and could be on the move again despite making a fine start to life in France
Liverpool academy graduate Tyler Morton was sold to Lyon in the summer transfer window with a 20% sell-on clause included in the deal. The young midfielder had been eager to kick-start his senior career and finally got his chance when the French Ligue 1 side approached him in late July.
Previously, Morton had attracted interest from several Championship clubs, and Xabi Alonso had even made enquiries about a potential deal while he was at Bayer Leverkusen. However, he ended up staying put on Merseyside.
In a recent chat with SportBible, Morton shared an amusing anecdote about that particular period. "I was on a golf course with my mates at the time. I got a text from my agent, who said: 'Xabi Alonso's going to call you soon'.
"I'd heard about the move but didn't speak about it too much because I'd been told I wasn't leaving Liverpool. Xabi told me how highly he rates me as a player. They wanted to sign me."
Morton continued: "[Leverkusen] came in quite late that summer, but I spoke to the manager (Arne Slot) about it and Liverpool wanted me to stay. I spoke to my agent, and we were pushing a move, but it was difficult.
"Liverpool told me I couldn't leave at the time, which was fair enough, but if you want to go and play, then you've got to push it.
"I asked the manager. He was open with me and said he was going to keep me around. Nothing was going to change his mind."
Slot and his coaching team determined midfield reinforcement was necessary, so the England Under-21 star remained at the club. A shoulder problem in January also scuppered any potential winter transfer window departure last term, before he was eventually allowed to leave following the squad's return from their Far East pre-season tour at the start of August.
Overall, he featured 14 times for his boyhood side, including five outings in cup competitions last season under Slot, and has enjoyed an impressive beginning to his French adventure, despite Lyon's widely-reported financial troubles. However, French media outlets have already suggested Morton is catching the eye of Premier League sides, with Crystal Palace reportedly linked with a potential swoop.
Jeunes Footeux claims Palace "are preparing for the post-Adam Wharton era" and are seeking to protect themselves should the England international depart, by identifying Morton as a prospective successor. Lyon's general manager Michael Gerlinger recently acknowledged that "financially, things are not going very well," with the French outfit narrowly avoiding relegation to Ligue 2 following a summer appeal.
Attention from a Premier League outfit regarding a promising young midfielder could prove tempting for the financially-stretched French club, notwithstanding the encouraging start Morton has enjoyed there.
The 23-year-old is reportedly content in France and unlikely to instigate a transfer, however, interest from the Premier League could understandably spark curiosity in a young, ambitious player. This suggests that Liverpool may stand to gain from the sell-on clause included in the deal.