Liverpool could be “ready to make a move” for Crystal Palace and England midfielder Adam Wharton, according to former scout Mick Brown.
The 22-year-old has been mentioned as a leading midfield target for the Reds for some time now, having shone so much for Palace since joining from Blackburn Rovers.
Now, in an interview with Football Insider, Brown talked up the idea of Liverpool pushing ahead in their efforts to sign Wharton this summer:
“There’s always going to be talk about Adam Wharton’s future. Of course Palace want to keep hold of him, he’s a very big part of the way they play and they don’t want to keep losing key players from their team. But that might be difficult if it’s true that he want to go and play in the Champions League next year.
“There’s been talk about Real Madrid and Liverpool, they’ve been watching him closely and now they might be ready to make a move. Both of those would be good moves for Wharton, because making the step up to a more dominant side will suit him perfectly and allow him to do more of what he does best.
“He’s a very talented player in possession of the ball, his range and quality of passing is exceptional, but there’s always been a bit of a worry out of possession. Playing for a club like Liverpool or Real Madrid eases those worries a little bit, because you have the ball far more often than you do at Crystal Palace.
“So if there’s any hint he might want to move on or might be available, those are the sorts of teams I’d expect to firm up their interest.”
Adam Wharton can dictate Liverpool midfield battles for years
Wharton is a fantastic young footballer, being lauded as “outstanding” by Declan Rice in the past, and Liverpool signing him would feel like significant business.
He is classy on the ball but also intelligent out of possession, putting out fires when opponents threaten, and there is a maturity about him that is beyond his years.
Wharton’s rumoured £70m price tag is big, so Liverpool have to accept he won’t arrive on the cheap, but he could run the midfield for many years to come.
Nottingham Forest ace Elliot Anderson and Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali are among other strong options, but Wharton is younger than both and arguably has a higher ceiling.