As Liverpool continue to struggle in the league, one of their former academy products is making a name for himself elsewhere following his much-talked-about departure last summer.
It has been a difficult campaign for Arne Slot's side. With 23 games played, the defending champions currently sit 14 points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal following their 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.
After goals from Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai had cancelled out Bournemouth's early onslaught, Amine Adli scored a stoppage-time winner to break Liverpool hearts.
The club's intense fixture schedule had contributed to a lack of concentration, according to Slot, who has had to contend with mounting injury problems and a lack of depth in certain areas of the pitch.
Advert
"If you constantly play the same players then sometimes a few of them can be tired at the end, especially against a very intense Bournemouth team," noted Slot.
The load has been heavy on Liverpool's midfield of late, which raises further question marks around the summer sale of Tyler Morton.
Morton, who graduated from their academy after joining at the age of seven, made his senior debut under Jurgen Klopp and showed glimpses of brilliance.
“The first time Tyler came, I said ‘who is this player?' said Thiago Alcantara, shortly after Morton made his Champions League debut for the Reds. "I think he will have a bright and great career here at Liverpool and in football in general.”
However, last season was a frustrating one for Morton. He featured just five times across all competitions in 2024-25, with all of those appearances coming in the cup.
The 23-year-old wanted to play regular first-team minutes, so a £15 million move to Ligue 1 side Lyon made sense for all parties at the time.
But as they continue to struggle for depth, you could argue Liverpool are lacking someone of Morton's ilk in their midfield as the England youth international continues to prove his doubters wrong.
The midfielder, who has been one of Ligue 1's standout performers so far this campaign, scored and assisted in Lyon's 5-2 win against Metz on Sunday, just a day after Wataru Endo came off the bench to play as a centre-half alongside Virgil van Dijk.
Tyler Morton opens up on Arne Slot and his lack of minutes for Liverpool last season
In our exclusive interview with Morton in October, we asked if he thought Arne Slot rated him.
"I think he thought I was a good player, but I don’t feel the trust was there as much,” he told SPORTbible. "In my opinion, the limited opportunities were down to trust and not ability.
"When I got my opportunity in the cup, I felt like I played well. That’s all I could say. I stuck at it, stayed focused, got through to the end of the season and played in the under-21 Euros, which was amazing."
“I had a few conversations with him (Slot) during the season," he continued. "A lot of footballers can be bitter about not playing and let their egos get in the way, but I’m not that type of lad.
"I personally disagreed with the limited amount of game time I got last season, but that was out of my control. I did everything I could. I played for the under-21s when a lot of players wouldn’t."
Morton added: "I did everything in my power to stay fit and mentally focused for when my time came, and I still got limited opportunities."
Topics: Liverpool, Arne Slot, Premier League
Jack Kenmare