Newcastle lead race for Tyler Morton to replace Arsenal target Sandro Tonali | OneFootball

Newcastle United have attracted a lot of unwanted headlines this week regarding Sandro Tonali and transfer interest from Arsenal.

After doing some further digging on this saga, I’ve been told that Newcastle have, to a certain extent, been preparing for Tonali’s possible exit for some time, with Lyon’s Tyler Morton one of their top targets to replace him in midfield.

The 23-year-old has looked hugely impressive for Lyon this season after previously catching the eye as a youngster at Liverpool.

Morton’s form in Ligue 1 also has him on the radar of clubs like Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, but I’m reliably told that Newcastle currently seem to be leading the race for his signature.

Tyler Morton to Newcastle as Sandro Tonali leaves?

Tyler Morton in action for Lyon (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

“Although it’s only come out in the last few days, the prospect of Sandro Tonali leaving Newcastle is very real and not a recent thing,” one source explained. “That doesn’t mean it’s 100% happening, but the club are realistic about the possibility and want to make sure all bases are covered.

“Morton is someone Newcastle know well and they’ve done some work on. He only joined Lyon last summer but their finances mean they’d have to consider offers. Newcastle sense an opportunity for a possible bargain there.”

Morton has previously been described as “exceptional” by former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, and he can probably count himself a bit unlucky that he didn’t end up getting more opportunities during his time at Anfield.

Tyler Morton looks ready for Premier League transfer

Morton won’t necessarily push to leave Lyon so soon after joining, with the move to France clearly proving good for his development.

The England Under-21 international has played 28 games in all competitions this season, and he might not want to risk going back to potentially spending more time on the bench.

Still, if Newcastle were to give Morton a key role, such as replacing an important player like Tonali, then that could surely appeal to him.