Manchester United could offer Crystal Palace two quality players in a deal for Adam Wharton.
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Crystal Palace at London Stadium on September 20, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Adam Wharton will be a man in demand in the coming months. (Image: (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images))
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Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton is quickly becoming one of the hottest prospects in European football. With hype comes rumour and Manchester United are reportedly interested in acquiring the services of the 21-year-old.
After seven games, United are in seventh place in the Premier League table and new signing Benjamin Sesko managed to get himself off the mark at the end of September after a slow start. While the likes of Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo are good additions to the squad, Ruben Amorim's side are yet to click and the pressure is starting to build on the Portuguese coach.
United were interested in signing Carlos Baleba from Brighton & Hove Albion during the summer window but were put off by the hefty £100m price tag set by The Seagulls.
Clearly, Amorim and co believed improvements were needed in the midfield area. Captain Bruno Fernandes was also linked with a potential move to Saudi Arabia in the same window and at 31 it would not be unreasonable to assume he may want to switch up in the next two windows.
Therefore, United need to start building for the future and Wharton perfectly fits that bill. United are reportedly willing to splash £60m on the English prodigy but it is very likely that this figure will be short of the mark for Palace.
The London club value Wharton at around £150m and with his contract running until 2029, they are firmly in the driver's seat of negotiations. While Wharton is happy at Palace, a move to English royalty will certainly be tempting.
Wharton has won one England cap so far and was a surprise inclusion in the England squad that reached the final of Euro 2024. He missed out on recent squads, but explained that Thomas Tuchel told him that he is playing well and wasn't far off selection, he just wanted to stick with the same team.
"Nothing is expected," said Wharton. "England have some top players and he's got a lot of players to choose from. No matter who he picks someone is not going to get in and there will be a fuss about it.
"I can't sit here and cry about it, this is football and I'm happy playing for Palace and getting minutes. I'll keep knocking on the door and if I'm in, I'm in and if not I'll carry on."
According to The Daily Star, Amorim is a 'huge fan' of the young man.
United will need to trim their squad in the coming windows and this could work in their favour if they want to land Wharton. Casemiro will be on his way out of United in the not too distant future, but a move to Palace is very unlikely when considering his age and wage bill.
The MEN takes a look at which players could be offered up in a swap deal that would suit both clubs...
Kobbie Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo, a man once tipped to be the next best thing, does not get much game time anymore and requested a loan move during the summer for that exact reason. His loan request was blocked, so it's likely the 20-year-old will want to leave on a permanent transfer during the January window.
The World Cup is next year and the England midfielder wants game time so he can make the squad. Palace will want Mainoo plus cash for Wharton, whose stock is at an all-time high right now.
Kobbie Mainoo has been linked with a January transfer away from Manchester United.
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Joshua Zirkzee
Another player that United could offer up is Netherlands international Joshua Zirkzee. He came to Old Trafford with much promise but it simply has not worked out for the 24-year-old.
He was deployed as a striker on a number of occasions but he hasn't been able to establish himself, working better in the number 10 role.
Manchester United centre-forward Joshua Zirkzee
Manchester United centre-forward Joshua Zirkzee
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There is interest from AC Milan and Juventus for Zirkzee, who joined United after impressing for Bologna in Serie A. Although Zirkzee doesn't match Wharton's more deep-lying position in midfield, the swap offer could provide Palace with extra firepower behind Mateta.
According to TBR Football, Zirkzee has told United officials he wants to leave in the January window to secure a place in the Netherlands squad for the World Cup. A move to The Eagles - playing regular Premier League football - may be a smart move for Zirkzee.
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Zirkzee and Mainoo together could be a more than reasonable swap deal for Wharton. Although, as previously mentioned, if it were to be just one of these players available, Palace will want cash, too.
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