Liverpool's midfield is at a crossroads—and according to the latest buzz, the Reds could be in for a major shakeup this summer. With reports swirling about the possible departures of Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones due to contract uncertainties, Anfield's engine room might need a fresh injection of talent. Names like Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson have been tossed into the rumor mill, but here's the twist: Liverpool's sporting director, Richard Hughes, may have already made a costly mistake that no summer signing can fix.
Let's rewind to last summer. In a bid to free up transfer funds, Hughes offloaded homegrown midfielder Tyler Morton to Lyon for a fee reportedly under £10 million—a bargain-bin price for a player of his caliber. Even more puzzling? No buyback clause was included in the deal. Fast forward to today, and Morton has blossomed into one of the top defensive midfielders in Europe's top five leagues, leaving Premier League champions to wonder what might have been.
Now, here's where it gets really interesting. Lyon's rising star striker, Endrick, has thrown fuel on the fire. In a recent interview with Foot Mercato, the 19-year-old was asked to pick between Morton, Paris Saint-Germain's Joao Neves, and Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi for his ideal Ligue 1 XI. Endrick didn't hesitate—he chose Morton, claiming the former Liverpool youngster is even better than Neves and Bouaddi. That's no small praise. Neves, 21, is on the verge of winning his second straight Ligue 1 double with PSG and is widely regarded as one of the world's elite midfielders. Bouaddi, meanwhile, is a hot commodity, with Liverpool among the giants circling for his signature.
To put Morton's value in perspective: Transfermarkt rates Neves at over €100 million and Bouaddi at €50 million. Hughes let Morton go for a fraction of that—a move that now looks like a massive undervaluation. For Arne Slot's title-winning squad, failing to find a place for Morton feels like a missed opportunity that's only growing more painful by the day. As the summer transfer window approaches, Liverpool fans might be left wondering: could this be the one that got away?