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Liverpool have agreed to sell Tyler Morton to Lyon in a deal worth around £15million. The transfer is close to being completed, with negotiations in their final stages as the 22-year-old awaits the go-ahead from the Reds to complete his medical with the Ligue 1 side. According to reports, the overall package includes attainable add-ons, and contains a 20 per cent sell-on clause Morton has attracted interest from a number of teams this summer, after deciding to look elsewhere in search of regular game time. Among the sides rumoured to have enquired about his availability were European teams Sporting Braga, Ajax and Strasbourg. Premier League rivals West Ham were also said to have had Morton on their shortlist of midfielders. But the Englishman now looks to have chosen on Lyon as his next destination, despite the club's well-documented financial issues. The French outfit were initially relegated to Ligue 2 in June despite finishing sixth in Ligue 1 last term, and qualifying for the Europa League. But they were later reinstated in both after an appeal saw their relegation overturned. Morton will therefore get a chance to prove himself in top-flight football and in Europe, after finding first-team opportunities hard to come by at Anfield. The midfielder has made 14 senior appearances for Liverpool, after progressing through their academy. Five of these came last season, although none were in the Premier League as Arne Slot's side stormed to league title success. Morton spent the 2023-24 on loan at Championship side Hull and the previous campaign at fellow second-tier side Blackburn. This summer, he was part of England’s Under 21 European Championship-winning squad, featuring in five of their six games. He came off the bench in their final victory against Germany, and set up the winning goal as he crossed for Jonathan Rowe to score in extra time. The Merseyside-born player had the chance to leave Liverpool last summer, when Bayer Leverkusen made an offer of an initial loan with an option to buy. However, the Reds rejected the approach, as head coach Slot wanted to keep him for squad depth purposes. But Morton's chances of breaking into the starting XI were hampered by the strong form of established first-team players in his position, including Ryan Gravenberch, with Wataru Endo the favoured back-up option. And biding his time last season, it now seems the England youth star has decided he must seek regular minutes at senior level. His exit would also suit Liverpool's transfer situation this summer, who could recoup some funds with his sale after a spending spree this summer. The Reds have spent close to £300m on recruitment, including smashing the British transfer record by completing the £116. 5million signing of Florian Wirtz. And their summer spending could still rise even more, with the Premier League winners also seeing a £110m bid for Newcastle star Alexander Isak rejected. The Swedish striker is currently training alone at former club Real Sociedad as he hopes for a move to Anfield to go through. © 2025 talk SPORT Limited

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