Liverpool are still pushing to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton in a possible £80m move this summer, journalist Alex Crook has claimed.
The decline of Alexis Mac Allister this season has been tough to watch at times, with the Argentine’s legs appearing to have gone at the age of just 27.
Hopefully, it’s just a case of him being tired after years of intense football, but either way, Liverpool must delve into the transfer market for a new midfielder in the summer window.
Wharton’s name has been mentioned plenty of times as an option in recent years, and according to talkSPORT‘s Crook, the Reds are still “showing interest” in signing the £80m-rated Wharton,
Liverpool are said to be “exploring their midfield options with Curtis Jones a potential departure”, and “uncertainty” also surrounds Mac Allister’s future.
Does Adam Wharton have the dynamism that Liverpool crave?
Wharton is a massive talent, possessing so much class in the No.6 role in front of the defence and being hailed by former Palace teammate Eberechi Eze, who said of him back in 2024:
“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.”
While Wharton’s long-term potential is enormous, the two things working against him joining Liverpool are his lack of dynamism and his injury record.
The 22-year-old arguably doesn’t have the box-to-box energy the Reds need when looking for possible Jones and Mac Allister replacements, so playing him in a double pivot with Ryan Gravenberch may not work.
Meanwhile, Wharton has struggled to stay fit for large periods and went off injured in Europe earlier this week, and Liverpool cannot afford to sign someone who struggles with availability.
Still, there is so much to admire about the England international, and if the Premier League champions do end up buying him, they would be acquiring the services of a technical and intelligent footballer.