Liverpool won the Premier League title on Arne Slot's first attempt, and for that, the Dutch coach deserves a lot of credit.
He earned his flowers, but Slot is down staring down the barrel of a gun as Liverpool scramble to record a top-four/five finish in the top flight and secure their place in the Champions League next season.
Quarter-final ties against Manchester City in the FA Cup and Paris Saint-Germain in Europe, the latter a repeat of last year's tie, will be make or break for Liverpool's head coach, with the pressure cranking up and then some should the Reds flatter to deceive across those fixtures.
arne-slot-liverpool-forest
Liverpool have to qualify for the Champions League; should they fail, the financial ramifications will be severe, and plans to sign elite upgrades across the park will prove difficult.
Liverpool among favourites for Premier League star
You could pick any area of the Anfield pitch and make a case for new signings, but there's no question that Slot's midfielders have gone stale this season, excluding Dominik Szoboszlai, of course, the Hungarian magnificent as Liverpool's leader and focal point, propelling them forward.
However, the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch have struggled to produce results anywhere close to last season's title-winning level.
Signing an elite midfielder like Declan Rice is easier said than done, but it's the kind of move the Merseyside outfit need to pull off if they are to edge back ahead of Arsenal over the coming years.
And according to Spanish outlet AS, Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton could be the man for the job, with Liverpool among the favourites to sign the England international this summer.
England's Adam Wharton reacts
Real Madrid, Manchester City and Manchester United are all keen too, and while the 22-year-old has been priced at £100m by the Eagles, his desire to take a step forward in his career could see a more agreeable fee negotiated.
Why Wharton can be Liverpool's own Declan Rice
It's not going to be easy, but Wharton would be the kind of game-changing midfield signing to put Liverpool back on their perch at the top of the Premier League.
Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton reacts after being sent off
His range of passing is something special, and he has been hailed as a "cheat code" by analyst Ben Mattinson. Incisiveness on the ball has been a weakness under Slot's wing this season.
Wharton is still young, but he's proven himself as a star in the Premier League, someone who could play a central role at Liverpool for many years. That's a double entrande, with the Three Lions star not just a maestro in the middle but someone whose quality suggests he can become a focal point
Considering Wharton's potentially nine-digit price tag and his skyrocketing reputation as one of England's best midfielders, he might develop into Liverpool's very own Rice, a talismanic centre-midfielder to assist the growth of the club.
He's made excellent progress on his second full season in the Premier League, and let's not forget that, under Oliver Glasner, he has helped orchestrate title-winning successes at Selhurst Park.
Adam Wharton's Premier League Development
Stats (* per 90)
Matches (starts)
Goals + Assists
Touches*
Accurate passes*
Possession lost*
Big chances created
Key passes*
Succ. dribbles*
Ball recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Clearances*
Duels won*
Rice did the same at West Ham before making the move to the Emirates in 2023. Now, he is the leader for Mikel Arteta's outfit, who are leading the race for the league title this season.
Wharton is still developing, but it's hard to argue against his quality and his capacity to control games and create for his teammates. Such impressive surgical passing might actually set Slot's system straight, reconnecting the thirds.
Declan-Rice-Arsenal-Leverkusen
Rice is probably the best midfielder in the Premier League right now, but Wharton has the potential to rival his countryman in the coming years, and Liverpool need to ensure he does so under the Anfield lights.
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