Liverpool 'miss out on double deal' as club freeze on transfer after early contact

Liverpool youngster Tyler Morton is reportedly set to join Lyon imminently, in what will be a hammer blow to West Ham's transfer plans. Graham Potter's side were plotting an ambitious 'double swoop' which included the midfielder - and they will now be forced to go back to the drawing board.

The Reds have splashed the cash on new signings so far this summer, and their spending spree is showing no signs of slowing. Newcastle's Alexander Isak remains a top target on Merseyside, and the dominos could fall which would allow him to join Liverpool for a British record fee.

Arne Slot has already breathed a new lease of life into his ranks with the additions of Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, and therefore some sales are in the pipeline to ensure the squad does not become too bloated.

Morton was identified as a player who could move on early in the summer window, and a £15million move to Lyon beckons. The playmaker had interest from closer to home too though, with the Daily Mail reporting that West Ham had him in their sights too.

It is claimed that the Hammers were plotting a double deal which would have seen Morton and Harvey Elliott join their side, but they will now have to rethink that plan. West Ham are said to have 'indicated' to Liverpool that they were willing to accelerate those plans, though it appears that the alternative route was favoured.

It remains to be seen whether West Ham continue to push for Elliott nevertheless, with the playmaker facing an uncertain future on Merseyside after struggling for minutes under Slot last season.

The Hammers are likely to face competition from a host of Premier League clubs if Liverpool do decide to make Elliott available following his sensational tournament for England Under-21s at the European Championships over the summer. Fulham, Wolves, Brighton and Newcastle are among those to have been linked with securing his signature previously.

Elliott also had admirers elsewhere in Europe, with RB Leipzig having him high on their shortlist of attacking targets. The Bundesliga outfit are in talks to sell Xavi Simons to Chelsea in a deal which would likely see them accelerate their pursuit of the versatile Liverpool star.