Liverpool are reportedly battling some of the biggest clubs in Europe for a midfielder who has been described as a “joy to play with” in the past.
Arne Slot has a wealth of elite players in his midfield, with Florian Wirtz coming in as a star addition from Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer.
Meanwhile, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were a superb unit en route to winning the Premier League title in 2024/25, with Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo also strong options.
While a new centre-back and striker are more important for Liverpool before the summer transfer window reaches its conclusion, a new update from AS [via Sport Witness] suggests a midfielder could also be on the cards.
They report that Crystal Palace ace Adam Wharton is a target for the Reds, with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Manchester City all providing competition for his signature. United above “above all” in the race currently, though.
The 21-year-old is valued at £69m by the Eagles, who may be reluctant to lose one of their best players, following Eberechi Eze’s move to Arsenal, and captain Marc Guehi being linked with a switch to Liverpool.
Is Wharton a perfect long-term signing for Liverpool?
Wharton is such an impressive young player, already displaying such calm in the middle of the park for Palace, being hailed by Eze last year:
“He’s an incredible player to play with. Playing with him at Palace, I’ve got used to seeing the way he plays and understanding him. He’s very calm, composed, and a joy to play with. For someone so young, he’s very mature and very wise. When you speak to him, it feels like you’re speaking to someone older than you, that’s the type of person he is. He’s an incredible player.”
The fact that some huge clubs want Wharton says a lot about his potential, and he could be a wonderful long-term signing for Liverpool, playing two key passes in Palace’s 0-0 draw away to Chelsea last weekend.
The Englishman possesses a cultured left foot and the ability to dictate games from deep, and he could arrive at Anfield as a valuable squad player to begin with, learning from the likes of Gravenberch and Mac Allister before becoming a key player over time.