Photo by Bruno Penas/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
Photo by Bruno Penas/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
Everton have a few months to go until they can sign new players, but the club have today been linked with a move for a former Liverpool midfielder.
The Toffees are currently trying to navigate a tricky situation, after being left with a squad of just 18 outfield players. This was put into perspective earlier this week when Everton shared their official squad photo.
But the message from David Moyes and a few of the players has been one of defiance. Despite plenty of fans expressing their concerns, it seems that the situation is actually giving the squad motivation.
But it is fanciful to think that Everton can go through the whole season with a squad of this size, and reinforcements will surely be on the cards in the January window.
And Everton are said to be eyeing former Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton.
Everton closely monitoring Tyler Morton, but there’s plenty of competition
TEAMtalk claim today that Everton are one of several Premier League clubs monitoring Tyler Morton, who is in excellent form right now at Lyon.
Morton is a name that some Everton fans will remember, as he used to be on the books at Liverpool. Morton joined Liverpool at the age of seven, having actually turned down an offer from the Toffees at the time.
But he could yet don the blue of Everton, with the club now showing an interest in the 23-year-old, who has been with Lyon since last summer after leaving Liverpool.
TEAMtalk say that as many as seven clubs are tracking Morton at the moment, including both Everton and Liverpool. The clubs keen are:
Everton
Liverpool
Nottingham Forest
Crystal Palace
Brighton
Newcastle United
Sunderland
There is no word yet regarding an asking price. But Morton is only a year into his contract at Lyon and is committed to them until 2030. Having emerged as a leading defensive midfielder in Ligue 1, he is highly unlikely to be sold cheap.
But Everton may hope that their relationship with Lyon remains strong following the transfer of Ainsley Maitland-Niles only a few weeks ago.
Tyler Morton style of play
At the moment, there doesn’t seem to be a majorly pressing need for Everton to sign a player like Morton. There are a lot of good midfield options at Moyes’ disposal right now, with James Garner and new addition Christian Norgaard capable of playing the holding role.
But Morton has certainly developed into a fine player since heading to France.
Morton had been more of a box-to-box player at Liverpool but has transitioned to become more defensive-minded at Lyon, saying of his style (via BBC Sport): “There’s no better position than number six, getting on the ball constantly, finding passes between the lines and using my brain to dictate games.
Total Football Analysis said of Morton last December that he was ‘incredibly technically comfortable and quietly tenacious’. He is also ‘press-resistant, progressive, and tactically aware’, and ‘can elevate a team’s in-possession structure despite not being flashy on the ball’.
His former manager Jurgen Klopp was also an admirer during his time at Anfield, once saying (via TNT Sports): “You can see Tyler Morton. We have to send him to the gym as if he gets a body, he’s a brilliant footballer. There are some things to come physique-wise, the football brain is outstanding.”