Richard Hughes' error costs Liverpool £20m in midfield market

Richard Hughes' mis‑calculation in the midfield market is now costing Liverpool roughly £20 million, after the club spent about £450 million on transfers last summer and secured British record signings for Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. The Reds’ sporting director faces mounting criticism as the £20 million shortfall looms.

Richard Hughes’ outgoings have been under scrutiny, from the top performances delivered by Luis Diaz at Bayern Munich to a failure to secure a larger fee for Darwin Nunez. The contrast between those successes and the missed opportunity on Tyler Morton highlights the pressure on the director.

The 23‑year‑old homegrown midfielder was allowed to join Lyon for a total of €15 million including bonuses – around £12.8 million overall – despite his England under‑21 status. He has adapted superbly to Ligue 1, ranking among the league’s best midfielders alongside Vitinha and Joao Neves.

Lyon, under Paulo Fonseca, has proven a perfect fit for Morton, who previously enjoyed productive loan spells at Blackburn and Hull. The French side plans to keep him this window but a Foot01 report suggests they could flip him for a £20 million profit, with a starting price of €30–40 million (£25–34 million).

“​At Lyon, however, Matthieu Louis‑Jean can only be praised,” the report reads. “​By signing Tyler Morton for barely €15 million (£12.8 million), the club has secured the potential for a huge future profit.”

Liverpool supporters were infuriated by the cheap sale of the Englishman, a local academy product. Arne Slot barely looked at him, and injuries further limited his role, leaving the Reds to lament a decision that now appears to cost them around £20 million.

If Morton’s market value rises as projected, the missed fee could become a lingering financial wound for Liverpool, underscoring the need for players in his mould to avoid similar losses in the future.