Lyon are now “close” to completing the signing of Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton on a permanent deal this summer.
Morton has had a nomadic career to date, enjoying loan spells at Championship pair Hull City and Blackburn in 2022/23 and 2023/24 respectively.
Last season, the 22-year-old remained at Liverpool but failed to play a single minute of Premier League action, admittedly not helped by a shoulder injury.
Now, it looks like Morton’s time as a Reds player is set to reach its conclusion, with the Times‘ Paul Joyce reporting on X that he is “close” to joining Lyon.
A £15 million move for the English midfielder is mooted, days after the Ligue 1 side made contact over a move.
Perfect time for Morton to leave Liverpool
This feels like an ideal outcome for all parties, with Morton only having one year left on his current Liverpool deal.
That means the Reds are cashing in on him at the last realistic opportunity, rather than losing him on a free transfer in 2026.
Liverpool have endless quality in their midfield, not only in Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, but also star signing Florian Wirtz and squad options Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo.
With that level of talent ahead of him, it is hard to see how Morton will feature regularly moving forward.
For that reason, it makes complete sense for him to find a new permanent club, moving to a team where he can play a prominent role.
Arne Slot will surely feel it is the right decision, lauding Morton’s quality in the past but hinting that his future lies away from Anfield.
“We can’t let everybody go that doesn’t play all the time – and there Tyler Morton is a good example of that,” Slot said.
“He’s a quality, quality player, good enough to play everywhere around the league, but is in competition with so many good midfielders over here.”
Lyon will be a good test for Morton, allowing him to play for one of France’s biggest clubs, as well as being in the Europa League next season.
That feels more enticing than a move to the Championship, for example, and he has the intelligence and technical ability to shine in Ligue 1.