Jurgen Klopp reminded Liverpool fans not to forget about rising star Tyler Morton when explaining why the Reds won't be signing a new midfielder this summer.
Borussia Dortmund ace Jude Bellingham had been strongly linked with a move to Merseyside, but Klopp has confirmed that Liverpool won't be splashing the cash on anyone in his position during the ongoing transfer window. That's because the Reds manager is more than happy with his midfield options right now, and is excited for what the future holds at Anfield.
"We always try to improve, and we can improve internally as well. They can put pressure on the more experienced guys, for sure," Klopp affirmed before waxing lyrical about Morton, who was thrown in at the deep end for his full Premier League debut last December, playing the first hour of a chaotic 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.
"By the way, Tyler Morton in training, incredible! He plays as a No.8 now, we don't force him to play as a controlling No.6 in a Premier League game [like versus Spurs]. He's training as an 8, and it's like 'wow, how good is that?!' He's still here.
"There's really a lot of excitement for this situation from our side, and like I say, if you want guarantees then you have to look somewhere else. We work a lot with expectations, and our starting point most of the time is very, very positive."
Speaking in Bangkok while on the club's pre-season tour, the German also told Sky Sports about the Liverpool academy product's qualities. "Tyler Morton has definitely made the next steps," Klopp - who recently signed new four-year contract at Anfield - went on. "He played good games for us but at 6 when he's actually an 8. When you see him now training, absolutely exceptional."
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Only 19 and with nine first-team appearances under his belt, Morton can look forward to a bright future if he continues making progress, having been tipped for a loan move away from Merseyside before the summer window closes on September 2. It's not just Morton who gets Klopp excited, though, as the Reds boss picked out three other youngsters who are set to impress next season, including new £5million signing Fabio Carvalho.
Detailing why there won't be another midfielder coming through the door at Anfield, he added: "What do we need…creativity? If we bring in a player just for that, we immediately make it more difficult for Harvey [Elliott], Curtis [Jones] and Fabio. So where is the need for a midfielder?
"The day when somebody comes to me and tells me why exactly? Of course I rate our young players highly. We should not forget that last season, in the first four games, Harvey Elliott was the best player. He was outstanding. Then he had a bad injury, came back, [he was] high, low. Normal for a young player, and normal after a long injury. He looks sharp now, he's back, and like everybody he needs luck."
Klopp continued by saying: "Curtis Jones - what a player he is as well. Fabio, you look at him and what he did at Fulham. Why should we bring a boy in and tell him he is midfielder number nine? It makes no sense. You have to leave the doors open for the boys. I really don't understand the discussion."
