Richard Hughes needs to act: Ideal midfielder now wanted by Newcastle

Liverpool’s midfield struggles have been well-documented this season.

With Dominik Szoboszlai being pressed into action at right back - and Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister not always at their best - Arne Slot’s side have often suffered in the middle.

It’s clear the Dutch head coach doesn’t trust Curtis Jones to start the biggest games while Wataru Endo is only ever going to be a reserve at this stage of his career.

The Anfield side need new blood in the central sector and are perhaps regretting letting a couple of players go last summer.

Harvey Elliott for example would have been good for at least a few outings in the Premier League and other competitions but is languishing on loan at Aston Villa.

But the biggest mistake may have been losing Tyler Morton.

Liverpool sold Tyler Morton to Lyon

The homegrown midfielder could not break into Arne Slot’s first-team plans during the 2024/25 Premier League title-winning season. And it was decided that the Reds would cash in on a £10m deal with Lyon.

Liverpool do retain a clause in his deal which would see them bank 20 percent of any profit earned - and that day could be coming sooner rather than later.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the 23-year-old has been among the very best midfielders in Ligue 1 this season and it looks like his club may soon be forced to listen to offers.

But fans hoping that Richard Hughes might be on the case to bring home a boyhood Liverpool player are going to be disappointed.

A report in Caught Offside now states that Morton is wanted by Newcastle as a replacement for Sandro Tonali.

Newcastle want deal for Tyler Morton

The Italian is at the centre of several big transfer reports owing to comments his agent made last week - with Arsenal thought to be among the candidates to land his signature.

Liverpool may well be there for the Italy international too.

Nonetheless the Toon are clearly aware of Morton’s quality and have got him lined up for a Premier League return.

“Newcastle have, to a certain extent, been preparing for Tonali’s possible exit for some time, with Lyon’s Tyler Morton one of their top targets to replace him in midfield,” the report reads.

Liverpool must contest Morton signing

Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest are also mentioned as potentially interested in Morton - who has played 29 times already in his debut season in French football.

If Liverpool were looking to add to their midfield options in summer then they could do a lot worse than turn to their former prospect.

It may be an error for Richard Hughes not to have included a buyback clause in his Lyon deal - like what happened with Jarell Quansah - with Lyon now free to dictate the player’s next move.

This is very much one that got away for Liverpool with Morton flourishing in the French top flight and looking like a good bet to make a speedy return to the Premier League.

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