Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid won’t fork out in excess of €60 million to sign Liverpool midfield target Adam Wharton.
According to a report from Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Real Madrid are keen on acquiring the services of Adam Wharton, but they have decided that they won’t pay over €60 million to sign the Crystal Palace sensation.
Wharton came up the ranks and made a name for himself at Blackburn Rovers before joining the Eagles at the start of 2024. The 21-year-old defensive midfielder has established himself as one of their mainstays in no time, and his performances have helped him break into the English national team.
The Englishman’s impressive rise has not gone unnoticed, as some of the biggest clubs in Europe are now after his signature. Liverpool and Real Madrid are both keen on signing the former Blackburn Rovers prospect, whose contract at Crystal Palace runs until the summer of 2029.
While the Reds have forked out a fortune to bolster their squad in the recently concluded transfer window, they are still willing to make more investments to ensure Arne Slot has the squad he needs to dominate English as well as European football.
Being one of the best-run clubs in England, Liverpool face no financial pressure despite a heavy-spending summer, and they still have the freedom to invest further in the future. Apart from the Reds, Real Madrid are also keen on signing the 21-year-old.
Real Madrid won’t pay over €60 million for Wharton
Xabi Alonso requested the signing of a new midfielder post the Club World Cup. The Real Madrid manager is keen on having a new defensive midfielder who can play the role of a deep-lying playmaker. While Los Blancos could not fulfil his demand this summer, they have drawn up a shortlist to sign one in 2026.
Wharton is one of the names on their wishlist, and they have already sounded out his contract terms. While they could have made a move this summer, it would have required a€100 million investment, and Real Madrid had no intentions of paying that big a fee.
With the transfer window now over, Crystal Palace have re-evaluated the asking price. However, Los Blancos have already made a decision on how much they are willing to spend on the 21-year-old midfielder. They have decided that they won’t go beyond the €60 million mark, having spent less than that to re-sign Alvaro Carreras this summer.