Liverpool have been linked with a move for Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton this summer, and reliable journalist Lewis Steele has dropped a new update.
The 22-year-old is a player who plenty of Reds supporters would love to see move to Anfield, with Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony also saying it would be great business.
“I’d love them to sign Adam Wharton. I think [Alexis] Mac Allister, for me, his legs were gone last year. It was only when he put an Argentina shirt on that his legs reappeared.
“If you could do business there with him going, I think you bring [Wharton] in and you’ve got a player for the next seven, eight years that will be a starter. He’s got so much upside and potential in him. Even if he costs £85m-£100m or whatever else, you’re getting the player for the long-term.”
But sadly, it doesn’t look as though Wharton’s switch to Liverpool is going to materialise unless there is a significant change in the situation, according to The Daily Mail‘s Steele:
“Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton has long been linked with a move but the Selhurst Park club would want a huge fee of around £100m – and there is no indication Liverpool are interested anyway.”
Steele adds that, as things stand, Liverpool aren’t planning to sign a midfielder at all between now and the end of the transfer window, despite Curtis Jones’ move to Inter Milan.
Liverpool not signing a midfielder is sheer negligence
While Trey Nyoni has emerged as a first-team option for Andoni Iraola, it feels like an enormous risk not to sign another midfielder to replace Jones.
There is a huge amount of pressure on Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to stay fit, which is a big ask over a long season across four competitions.
Long-term injuries to any of them would leave Liverpool feeling horribly short in the middle of the park, so it would be negligent not to add one more name to the squad.
It looks increasingly as though Wharton is off the table for the Reds, but there must be alternative options out there to bolster Iraola’s options heading into the new Premier League season.