Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton put in a performance against Manchester United that saw Red Devils fans shift their transfer attention to Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson.
Adam Wharton started in the heart of midfield for Crystal Palace against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon and the England international deeply underwhelmed.
The 22-year-old midfielder lasted only 68 minutes before manager Oliver Glasner made the call to withdraw Wharton from Man Utd’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Some United fans felt that Wharton failed his ‘audition’ over a summer move to Old Trafford and immediately threw their backing behind a transfer for Elliot Anderson.
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Kobbie Mainoo is under pressure from Adam Wharton in Manchester United’s 2-1 Premier League win over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in 2026.
Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images
Did Adam Wharton just end his chances of signing for Man United with that performance?
Adam Wharton had an afternoon to forget at Old Trafford…
Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton graphic vs Man United
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The eye-opening Premier League stats between Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson that paint the ‘true’ Man Utd picture
Both Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson have been tipped with a move to Old Trafford at the end of the season amid the Red Devils’ hunt for a new midfielder.
Casemiro will leave the Premier League club in the summer and Manchester United are keen to reinforce their fragile midfield selection available in the first-team squad.
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Wharton might have been ‘written off’ by some United fans, but his performances against the Red Devils are comparable to those of England teammate Anderson.
StatMuse compiled the Crystal Palace and England midfielder’s last five Premier League displays against United, ranging from 2024 up to Sunday’s result in 2026.
Wharton has never achieved a minimum seven out of 10 rating against United on the past five occasions, with his average rating sitting at around ‘6.41’ out of 10.
According to StatMuse, Anderson’s performance at Newcastle in 2023 is the one time he scored a seven out of 10 rating in his last five league matches against Man Utd.
However, Anderson’s overall average rating against United, based on his last five league matches, is ‘6.56’ out of 10, narrowly edging out England teammate Wharton.
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Is Elliot Anderson the standout midfield option for Manchester United?
How much would you want United to spend on him this summer…
Elliot Anderson duels
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The difference between Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson is so small that both should remain key Man Utd targets
When the Premier League stats from the last five matches against United are compared with one another, Wharton and Anderson are on the same level.
Both Wharton and Anderson have seen their stock value rise in their club playing careers and have become important additions to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.
There is not much separating the qualities of Palace star Wharton and Nottingham Forest ace Anderson amid their ongoing links to the Red Devils in recent months.
It would not be a surprise if Man Utd’s transfer interest begins to intensify for either Wharton or Anderson during England’s World Cup campaign this summer.
The biggest question for United fans, above anything else, is which one of the two England midfielders is most likely to arrive at Old Trafford at the end of the season.
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