Liverpool hold massive advantage in deal for elite midfielder

Liverpool hold a fantastic advantage in any deal for one of the best up-and-coming midfielders in Europe. A goal last night was a reminder of his quality.

Liverpool need to address their midfield. This is something we've wanted them to do all summer but it's particularly important now that Inter are pushing to sign Curtis Jones.

The Reds just lack control in there and quite honestly, Jones is their best controlling midfielder. Losing him exacerbates a serious problem that could undo the entire campaign.

But the reality is that Liverpool likely won't sign a game-changing midfielder this summer. Not when they're currently trying to sign Bradley Barcola for a record-breaking amount.

We'll need to wait in other words but maybe that's okay. Because there's a midfielder who will be in high demand this time next year - and Liverpool hold an advantage in signing him.

Tyler Morton was always a major talent at Liverpool but never really got an opportunity. His 'breakthrough' coincided with Arne Slot, who was hesitant to use a large squad, essentially costing Morton a year of his career.

It meant he was sold to Lyon on the cheap in 2025, where he enjoyed a really productive debut campaign. Enough so that the promise is there for a true breakout this term - something Morton teased with his goal against Sparta Praha this week.

At 23, Morton is well-placed to take a leap, too. We had him as the 14th most-valuable midfielder in Ligue 1 last season, with his defensive impact taking up the most of that value.

We'd also say Morton was one of the absolute best possession midfielders in Ligue 1. Top five, in fact, and while no one comes close to Vitinha in that regard, he's comfortably in that second group behind the Paris Saint-Germain man.

To put it bluntly: we think Morton offered the same sort of value as Adam Wharton last season. Yes, he didn't do it in the Premier League and Wharton did, but we have little reason to believe that he can't translate that level across to his native league.

The real kicker here is that Liverpool hold a genuine advantage in a possible deal for Morton. One they certainly don't have for any comparative player: a 20 per cent sell-on. Essentially, they'll get 20 per cent back of whatever they pay for the player.

And that may just make him a player they just can't pass up on.