James Pearce has shared some insight as to Liverpool’s plans for Tyler Morton after he returns from his loan spell at Blackburn.
The 20-year-old has been enjoying consistent game-time at Ewood Park, featuring in 40 matches already for Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side and starting regularly for the Championship play-off contenders (Transfermarkt).
The young midfielder will no doubt be hoping that his productive spell in Lancashire could stand him in good stead for a crack at the first team at Anfield next season, but whether he gets that chance in 2023/24 is the burning question.
Pearce was asked about Morton’s short-term future in his latest mailbag for The Athletic and he duly replied: “The feedback from Blackburn to Liverpool has been really positive. It’s been a great loan spell in terms of aiding his development.
“I believe the plan is for Morton to come back and start pre-season at Liverpool and then it’s down to him to prove he should be part of Klopp’s plans for 2023-24.”
If the 20-year-old has eyes on breaking into the Reds’ first team next season in the manner that Stefan Bajcetic has done in recent months, he seems to be going the right away about it.
It’s a sign of how much he’s impressed Tomasson at Ewood Park that he’s been handed 25 starts in the Championship already this term, with only two teammates matching his tally of 34 appearances in the division (WhoScored).
Morton has been given occasional senior exposure at Anfield, starting two Champions League matches in the 2021/22 group stage and also being thrown into the first XI in a 2-2 draw at Tottenham (Transfermarkt).
If, as Pearce has predicted, he teams up with Liverpool again for their pre-season programme in the summer, that could be the midfielder’s window of opportunity towards replicating the progress made by Bajcetic.
A lot could also depend on how many current players in that position leave Anfield in the summer, with three set to be out of contract in June and Arthur Melo’s loan spell ending (Transfermarkt), and how many are brought in during the off-season.
If midfield depth is a concern, Morton may be kept at his parent club. If one or more signings are made in that department, it seems probable that he could be loaned out again.