Andoni Iraola has had a difficult start as Liverpool boss, with the defence a major concern during pre-season. However, one issue he cannot control is the lasting impact of a mistake by his predecessor, Arne Slot, who allowed Tyler Morton to leave for Lyon for just £15m.
Morton's impressive form for Lyon
The 23-year-old midfielder has made a strong impression in France. In Lyon's 3-0 Champions League qualifying win over Sparta Prague on Tuesday, Morton scored a stunning goal, made the most passes into the final third (14), completed the most long balls (11), and made the most recoveries in midfield (8).
Morton played 43 times across all competitions last season after his permanent move. He has spoken about his resurgence, telling the BBC: "I was so hungry to play again and find my love for football again. It's really difficult when you don't play. It's so tough. You don't get to show everyone how good you are. I'd never been more hungry to play football in my life."
What Liverpool are missing
Morton's development means he is becoming the type of player Liverpool might need to spend big on in future windows. Ryan Gravenberch's standards dropped last season, and Alexis Mac Allister had a below-par campaign, with suggestions this could be a make-or-break year for the Argentine.
Liverpool did not include a buy-back option in the deal that took Morton to Lyon, meaning any return would cost significantly more than the £15m they received.
