One way or another, I was interested in watching the 21-year-old midfielder under Arne Slot’s tutelage. With players like Quinten Timber, Orkun Kocku, and Mats Wieffer, he performed incredibly well.
And as a profile, I do think Morton is really interesting. If he had been a squad option this season, I wouldn’t have objected.
However, I then recall that Morton’s addition to the Liverpool team would just make matters more complicated because the team already has a somewhat bloated roster.
Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones, Wataru Endo, Stefan Bajcetic, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, and Harvey Elliott are vying for two spots if Slot continues to employ the staggered double pivot strategy he employed at Feyenoord.
The concept is still valid even though I picked a few guys who most likely consider themselves to be attacking midfielders.
There are also rumors that a more powerful, disruptive, and defensive midfielder may be recruited to the team. To put it succinctly, there are many bodies but few roles that require filling.
Unless there was an injury crisis or Morton had a spectacular preseason, his playing opportunity would be limited. It would be wise to bank around £20 million for him, particularly if there were add-ons.
Upon reflection, paying £20 million for a guy who has only made two Premier League matches seems like a throwback to Michael Edwards’ classics. I would buy it if he is sold. If you don’t think he will be on the first team for the upcoming season, it’s the kind of deal you simply can’t pass up.
Players should be sold when their stock is high. Liverpool has struggled to execute it well in recent seasons. I therefore initially came to terms with the sale until changing my mind after seeing the list of teams who were allegedly interested in the midfield player.
Morton is being pursued by “virtually every club” in the Championship, including RB Leipzig, Sevilla, Eintracht Frankfurt, Feyenoord, and several Premier League teams, according to The Times.
Is Liverpool undervaluing Morton?
Now, set aside the ties to the Championship and Premier League and concentrate on the clubs that are mentioned. Young talent identification and development is a track record that RB Leipzig has demonstrated. Although their success percentage is excellent, it doesn’t always work out (see Fabio Carvalho for specifics).
There must be a reason why they want him. Sevilla is renowned for their transfer business as well. Yes, it may appear like they are using a scattergun technique, but they consistently recruit players that they believe to be underutilized talents, and that benefits them.
While Feyenoord’s business has gone unnoticed in recent seasons, Eintracht Frankfurt is another team that has a track record of assisting players with potential in developing.
The key aspect is that these organizations are all similar in that they all sign players they believe to be underutilized.
Is it possible that Liverpool is undervaluing Morton? The actual question, I guess, is: Does it really matter if we find out that there is probably not enough room on the squad for him?
In January 2023, the 5’10” midfielder committed to a new, long-term contract with Liverpool. The club is now in a strong position because it enables them to demand a reasonable price for the young player. This may be the reason it is useless to invest in academy players’ growth because, in most cases, they are raised with the intention of selling them for a profit.
JURY OUT ON MORTON CEILING
The truly extraordinary are the only ones who make it onto the Liverpool team. Morton may be impressive, but I’m not sure whether his ceiling is really high. He is still a useful player.
During his loan stints at Hull City and Blackburn Rovers, he accrued 5,700 minutes in total. He has grown as a player thanks to these loans, and he is mature for his age. He generated 1.4 opportunities per 90, averaged over 60 passes per 90, and had an 88% pass success rate at the end of the previous term. He is both safe and progressive.
calm, self-assured, and assured while in control. I’ve watched him play with Hull in the past, and what really stood out to me was his placement. He’s a clever player both with and without the ball. Ideally, you would leave him in place and allow Slot to grow with him.
But I see why the club might decide to sell this summer. I can also understand his desire to go after playing regularly for two seasons.
