Liverpool weigh up £47m Araujo deal as Morton return from Lyon gathers pace

Liverpool are giving serious thought to triggering their £47m purchase option on Ronald Araujo and may also move to re-sign Tyler Morton from Lyon, as manager Andoni Iraola navigates a busy period of transfer planning alongside an international break.

Araujo, 27, joined on loan from Barcelona and has already made a strong impression at Anfield, demonstrating the versatility Iraola values by performing effectively at both centre-back and right-back. The Uruguay international took a pay cut to facilitate the temporary move, with Liverpool holding a non-obligatory option to sign him permanently next summer. According to Mundo Deportivo, the club are already minded to exercise that option if his current form continues — a price many at the club consider a bargain given his performances.

Araujo’s commitment to the project appears genuine. He has reportedly purchased a house near Liverpool’s training ground for himself, his wife, and their two children, suggesting a long-term outlook on his time in England.

On the outgoing side, Liverpool are said to be reconsidering the decision to sell Wirral-born midfielder Tyler Morton to Lyon last summer. Morton, 23, came through the club’s academy and made his senior debut under Jurgen Klopp in 2021, before loan spells at Hull City and Blackburn Rovers. Despite Klopp’s well-documented admiration for the player, Morton did not make a single Premier League appearance during Arne Slot’s title-winning campaign and departed for Lyon in a £15m deal.

He has since thrived in France, making 10 appearances for a Lyon side sitting second in Ligue 1, two points behind Paris Saint-Germain. His form has attracted interest from Juventus, according to Tutto Juve, with the Serie A club seeking an experienced young midfielder. Liverpool, however, are reportedly regretting his departure and are seriously considering a return move to Merseyside.

Iraola’s side sit sixth in the Premier League after five games, six points behind early leaders Manchester City, whom they face on October 11. The Reds’ hard-fought win at Bournemouth offered encouragement, though the manager will be aware of an unbalanced squad and the challenge of integrating Florian Wirtz, currently on international duty with Germany under Klopp. Eighteen Liverpool players have been called up across various national squads during the break.