Throughout the 2023/24 summer transfer window, Liverpool made an abundance of signings to enhance their engine room. Although the Reds have had a successful campaign of late, the 2022/23 season was far from that, failing to even qualify for the Champions League.
Often, bad seasons can be ruled down to things such as injuries or a lack of confidence, but this wasn't the case for Jurgen Klopp's men.
They had just come off one of their most gruelling seasons in recent memory as they played every single game they possibly could during the 2021/22 campaign.
This resulted in the entirety of Liverpool's squad becoming dilapidated and tired, which resulted in them having one of their worst Premier League finishes during the Klopp era; a fifth-place finish.
With a massive influx of new midfield signings, this meant players needed to be shipped out. The likes of Naby Keita, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho were all sold, which helped the Reds generate a kitty of around £51m, leaving the Reds in need of a rebuild.
One player who was certainly a surprise addition to the squad was that of Wataru Endo. Due to the sale of Fabinho, Klopp's men were in dire need of a defensive-midfielder which is why the Japan international was brought into the squad for a fee worth around £15.4m.
Despite bringing in the 30-year-old to the squad, in Liverpool's youth ranks there was an abundance of talent waiting to be brought into the first-team.
Each of Tyler Morton and Stefan Bajcetic have made their senior debuts for the squad and were each vying for their shot at first-team football.
However, due to the injury to Bajcetic, this was met with no avail in the case of the Spaniard. Morton, on the other hand, was sent out on loan to Championship side, Hull, and looks to be having a stellar season.
Tyler Morton's season in numbers
Morton has been at the helm of many-a-compliment from Tigers manager, Liam Rosenoir with the manager even stating "he can do anything."
"Some of his play, honestly," Rosenoir gushed via the Echo. "He can do everything as a midfield player. When we were recruiting in the summer, he fits completely into the way we want to play."
His praise has been well met by the youngsters' performances, as he has played in 26 games across all competitions and contributed to seven goals.
Due to his stellar performances, the "incredible" 21-year-old – as dubbed by one Blackburn onlooker last term – will likely be looking to make an impact on Liverpool's first-team squad next season.
According to Sofascore, Morton has been defensively sound, with the midfielder recovering 4.5 balls per Championship game and making 1.5 tackles. For context, when these statistics are compared to those of £105m Arsenal star Declan Rice, the 21-year-old isn't far off.
In the Premier League, Rice has made 2.1 tackles and five ball recoveries per game. Although they aren't the exact same, it is clear to see why comparisons have been made between the pair.
How Morton's style of play compares to Declan Rice
Morton has recently featured on a list of the top 100 midfielders across the world of football for one specific metric; ball retention under high pressure. This list includes the likes of Manchester City's Rodri and the aforementioned Rice, something that showcases how well the Liverpool youngster has developed this season.
As per CIES Football Observatory, Morton sits in 74th place with 86.9% successful ball retentions, whilst Rice has a percentage of 89%. Morton's 74th place in the table happens to rate the youngster ahead of the likes of Amadou Onana and Douglas Luiz.
The 21-year-old looks set to have a bright future ahead of him if he can continue his development. Much like Rice, he isn't an out-and-out defensive midfielder, but rather a mixture of a ball-winning midfielder and an attacking trojan. Clearly both adept at evading the press, Morton is an exciting all-round star.
So long as Morton doesn't get injured, he could be in line to get a starting position within the Anfield club's starting XI next season.
