Liverpool exit to take summer transfer sales to £146m to help fund signings

Liverpool could soon see a boost to their transfer funds for boss Arne Slot after they agreed to sell academy graduate midfielder Tyler Morton to Lyon this summer

Liverpool are set to see their transfer pot replenished even further after agreeing a £15million deal to sell Tyler Morton to Lyon. The midfielder looks to be on the way to Lyon after a package including a 20 per cent sell-on clause was deemed worthy of the player’s exit.

Morton, 22, helped England win the European under-21 Championships this summer and had been linked to Ipswich Town but nobody has matched Lyon’s offer. The academy graduate has been present in Arne Slot’s pre-season plans but failed to make a Premier League appearance under the Dutchman last term.

The departure will continue a summer that has seen a number of exits from Anfield as Liverpool haul in fees to supplment their significant spending. The Reds have already raked in £65m for Luis Diaz from Bayern Munich, £35m from Bayer Leverkusen for Jarell Quansah, £18m for Caoimhin Kelleher, £10m for Trent Alexander-Arnold and £3m for Nat Phillips.

The sale of Morton will take Liverpool’s earnings to £146m. A significant sum, albeit short of the £150m it has been touted Newcastle might require for star striker Alexander Isak.

Nevertheless, after only seeing Federico Chiesa arrive last summer, Liverpool have splashed the cash this year and the departures will go some way to offsetting their spending — particularly in relation to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules. The Reds have already made in the region of £330m worth of signings and more work is to be done.

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While Slot has indicated that Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo could feature in the centre of defence, it would be no surprise if Liverpool moved for a new defender. With Joe Gomez out injury, the Dutch coach has only two senior centre halves in Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate at his disposal.

The Merseyside club have indicated they will not return with another offer for Newcastle forward Isak, after having a £110m bid turned down. But any boost to their transfer coffers will help negotiators should they be encouraged to return for the Sweden international.

Isak has trained alone in Sociedad as Newcastle’s pre-season tour of Asia continues. The 25-year-old is expected to link back up with the squad next week.

“I know where he is, really, through the media,” Magpies boss Eddie Howe said in a press conference in Seoul. “From that perspective, it’s difficult for me to go into any kind of detail. The situation is far from ideal and is quite complex.”

“I was made aware of a bid yesterday (Friday) and that bid was turned down, all before I’d even heard about it,” he added.

“People back in England are dealing with the situation. I don’t know what happens next. From our perspective, we still support Alex in every way and my wish is that we see him in a Newcastle shirt again.”

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