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The January transfer window may be closed, but Liverpool’s summer transfer plans are already no doubt in place. One name will be tied to the Reds when the market reopens in June: Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.
The 21-year-old midfielder has been turning heads across the Premier League since his £22 million move from Blackburn Rovers to Selhurst Park in January 2024. What many initially viewed as a promising Championship talent taking a step up has transformed into one of the most sought-after young midfielders in world football.
DaveOCKOP reported last week that Wharton is Liverpool’s top midfield target, and that fresh talks have taken place recently with Liverpool now confident that Wharton could end up at Anfield.
While Crystal Palace are reportedly open to selling at the end of the season – with a starting price of £65 million -they’re under no pressure to let Wharton leave cheaply. The midfielder’s contract runs until 2029, giving Palace significant leverage in negotiations.
But it seems Liverpool have recieved a bit of a transfer boost regarding their chances of signing the England international. Real Madrid insider Mario Cortegana has reported that although Wharton is on the shortlist for Los Blancos, they are currently tending towards AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit instead:
“Other profiles with very positive reports are AZ’s Kees Smit and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton,” revealed Cortegana.
“The Dutch club wants around €60million for Smit and have given agent Jorge Mendes a mandate to negotiate on their behalf. Both players were mentioned in conversations at Madrid last summer — although now Smit seems the more favoured of the two.”
Crystal Palace’s willingness to negotiate may be influenced by financial realities. Blackburn Rovers are entitled to a significant sell-on percentage from any future sale, meaning Palace will want to maximize their return.
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