Manchester United are huge admirers of Adam Wharton
Manchester United have been looking to bring in a midfielder as Ruben Amorim looks to resolve the second-phase problems at M16, and while the Premier League heavyweights couldn’t land any possible target in the recently concluded summer transfer window, the chiefs at Carrington have not given up as they look to compete with Chelsea in order to bring Adam Wharton to Old Trafford.
The Crystal Palace midfielder has emerged as a top target at the club ahead of the winter transfer window, with TEAMtalk reporting how both the aforementioned clubs had been tracking his signatures for some time, but none of those materialised into a transfer given how offers from both of them were rebuffed by the Eagles.
Wharton has quickly become one of the most highly rated midfielders in the English top tier, and he could end up being a long-term solution to the midfield woes at Old Trafford.
We hate seeing him enjoy quite a rise since moving to Shelhurst Park back in the winter of 2024, and while he was signed for a fee of just £22m then, now he is surely worth more than triple that fee, and Steve Parish would be aware of that as well. The Eagles did not entertain any offers for him in the recently concluded summer window, with Oliver Glasner making it clear that prying away Wharton from his roster was non-negotiable.
Palace didn’t entertain Wharton bid in summer
Manchester United are huge admirers of Adam Wharton.
Manchester United had been eyeing a summer move for Adam Wharton.
United did try to push hard for his signatures, but Palace were adamant about blocking any move for him, as they saw Eberechi Eze moving to Arsenal for a marquee fee, and then there was this aggressive interest in Marc Guehi from multiple clubs, which went on till the final minute of the deadline day. And losing Wharton on top of that as well would’ve been too much, which is why Palace stood firm on him.
But going into the winter transfer window, that stance may end up softening, with reports suggesting that United and Chelsea are both preparing bids.
United have plans to replace Casemiro with Wharton while Chelsea have plans of their own…
Manchester United are huge admirers of Adam Wharton.
Casemiro is in Manchester United’s exit radar
For Manchester Reds, bringing Wharton to Old Trafford would mean securing a long-term replacement for Casemiro, with Ruben Amorim pushing to bring him to M16 since May, given how he fits the mould of a highly technical and Premiership-proven midfielder. For Chelsea, he is seen as an ideal partner to Enzo Fernandez and Moisés Caicedo in a midfield three built which would exert a blend of control and progression, with the Blues expected to go head-to-head with United once the window reopens mid-season.
But that being said, Palace valued him at £80m in the summer, and they hold all the cards given Wharton is under contract at Selhurst Park until 2029, and that valuation isn’t expected to change, especially given the possibility of him adding numbers to that one England cap he has in the ongoing international break, given he has been called up by Thomas Tuchel for World Cup qualifiers.
Brighton midfielder Baleba is seen as a possible target at M16 as well, given that the chiefs at Carrington were successful in agreeing to personal terms with the Seagulls midfielder, but his current employers are expected to exceed the fees even from the Palace’s asking price for Wharton, which can end up pushing Ruben Amorim to pivot to Wharton.
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Carlos Baleba was subject to summer interest from Manchester United
The Manchester Reds had been quite actively looking to bring in a new face in the middle of the park, and while the club worked hard in the summer window, none of the transfers materialised, and now Ruben Amorim will be looking to add quality into the roster as he looks to walk through the second phase of his rebuild at Old Trafford.
And while United tried to bring Wharton, they couldn’t push to land his signatures, but the interest has not gone cold; instead, if anything, it’s heating up. These rumours tell us how the chiefs at Old Trafford still look at Wharton as the ideal profile for the second phase of play, given how he is calm under pressure and comes with his Premier League-proven ability. Moreover, he also has the capacity to dictate play from deep.
We saw how Amorim has been pushing to bring him to his roster since May, but United could end up getting dragged into a bidding war with Chelsea. While Baleba is still available and could cost more, when it comes to choosing between the Brighton star and Wharton, the choice would be clear given one comes with a homegrown quota and has already been capped by England, while his counterpart comes with a fee that could go well into three figures.
Between Wharton and Baleba, who would you have at M16? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.