OL: Matthieu Louis-Jean Pulls Off €10m Masterstroke and Leaves Liverpool Regretting It
Just two years after joining Liverpool, sporting director Richard Hughes is on the verge of leaving for Al-Hilal. His spell at Anfield has fallen short of expectations, and one of the deals that continues to draw criticism is Tyler Morton’s transfer to Olympique Lyonnais.
Exactly one year ago, Olympique Lyonnais were facing a financial situation that bordered on disaster. The club was even provisionally relegated to Ligue 2 by the DNCG following the disastrous hearing involving then-owner John Textor. The arrivals of Michele Kang and Michael Gerlinger ultimately helped stabilize the club, while a shrewd transfer window was orchestrated under the guidance of Matthieu Louis-Jean. Numerous departures, combined with several low-cost signings, allowed Lyon to rebuild efficiently. Pavel Šulc, Afonso Moreira, and Dominik Greif all joined OL for fees below €10 million.
Lyon took a slightly bigger gamble by investing close to €15 million, including bonuses, to sign Tyler Morton from Liverpool, where he had barely featured. The move has since proved to be a masterstroke, with the English midfielder establishing himself as an undisputed starter under Paulo Fonseca. Liverpool, meanwhile, have yet to come to terms with a transfer widely viewed as a poor piece of business by sporting director Richard Hughes. According to Anfield Watch, the deal remains one of the key criticisms highlighted as the outgoing Reds executive’s tenure is assessed.
